Working in partnership with the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Pacific Island Health Officers’ Association (PIHOA), Oxitec will supply Friendly™ Aedes aegypti and transfer knowhow for self-sustained releases of the solution on Ebeye Island, which has been affected by serious dengue outbreaks and is home to more than 15,000 people.
The Republic of the Marshall Islands selected Oxitec’s Friendly™ Aedes aegypti solution to control the invasive, disease-spreading Aedes aegypti mosquito on Ebeye Island, which has been blighted by serious dengue outbreaks since the 1980s, most recently sparking a State of Health emergency in 2019.
The project team will initiate deployments of Oxitec’s Friendly™ Aedes aegypti following a preparatory phase and ongoing community engagement on Ebeye Island.
Aedes aegypti in the Marshall Islands
Aedes aegypti is an invasive mosquito which carries and spreads dangerous viral diseases such as dengue, Zika, yellow fever and chikungunya.
Despite the best efforts of authorities around the world, the Aedes aegypti mosquito is difficult to control using conventional tools:
The eggs of Aedes aegypti can remain dormant in dry conditions for several months;
Aedes aegypti are container breeders, enabling them to lay eggs in a wide range of small containers in which rainwater collects;
The females bite people throughout the day, meaning bednets are ineffective.
RMI government experts selected Oxitec’s proven Friendly™ Aedes aegypti as the most sustainable and operationally effective option to control this disease-spreading mosquito.
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