Gene Drive in the News
A curated collection of articles from the popular press
Monitoring Gene Drives: A Living Literature Review on Gene Drive Research
34604International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Monitoring Gene Drives, 2025-03-18 10:58:53.
Literature reviews have always been essential for summarizing the current state of a research field. However, in areas that evolve rapidly—like gene drive technology—traditional reviews can become outdated quickly. While peer-reviewed research is invaluable for pinpointing knowledge gaps and shaping best practices, it can be challenging for practitioners, and even researchers, to keep up with the latest insights due to time constraints, paywalls, and the complexity of different research methods. We believe a more agile, inclusive, and accessible approach is needed to keep scientific understanding timely and relevant. Living literature reviews can help address this need by providing ongoing, curated updates of the latest research. Unlike classical genetically modified organisms, the first gene drive organisms likely to be released will be wild species (e.g., Anopheles mosquitoes, screwworm flies, or mice) that can cross borders. This raises multifaceted regulatory, ecological, and ethical questions, sparking complex international discussions. To navigate these debates, stakeholders require current, evidence-based information about gene drive research. Monitoring Gene Drives serves as an accessible, continuously updated resource consolidating the most recent findings on gene drive research. This initiative aims to support informed policymaking, decision-making, and public dialogue by ensuring that stakeholders have accurate and up-to-date insights in a field where new studies are constantly reshaping the landscape.
Ghana hosts 2nd Global Congress on new, emerging genetic biocontrol technologies
34634Ama Kudom-Agyemang, EnviroNews Nigeria, 2025-03-13 14:22:11.
From Monday, March 17 to Thursday, March 20, 2025, Ghana is hosting a gathering of science, health and communication experts to deliberate on and contribute to innovative scientific exploits for Africa’s health sector. The over 150 African national and international professionals from scientific institutions, academia, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology researchers, development and clinical organisations as well as science communicators would be brainstorming on new and emerging genetic biocontrol technologies that can tackle vector-borne diseases such as malaria, by sharing experiences and lessons across diverse disciplines related to genetic biocontrol technologies. The four-day gathering is the 2nd Global Congress in Africa on new and emerging genetic biocontrol technologies. The 1st Global Congress was held in Nairobi, Kenya in August, 2023. Ghana’s National Biosafety Authority (NBA) and the African Genetic Biocontrol Consortium (The Consortium) are jointly organising this 2nd Congress on the theme: “Harnessing genetic biocontrol potential solutions in a changing climate.”
Gene drive modified mosquitoes offer new tool for malaria elimination efforts
34615Conrad Duncan, Imperial, 2025-03-13 11:59:36.
Transmission Zero, a research team from Imperial College London in partnership with the Ifakara Health Institute and the National Institute of Medical Research in Tanzania, has developed genetic technology which renders a mosquito unable to transmit the malaria parasite and has a gene drive that ensures that future generations are also resistant to the parasite. The technology could significantly reduce the malaria burden in high-risk countries, saving hundreds of thousands of lives each year, especially among children – who are disproportionately at risk from the disease. The work of Transmission Zero has been highlighted in a new Global Development Hub STEM for Development Impact Memo authored by Professor George K. Christophides, Professor of Infectious Disease and Immunity at Imperial, Dr Nikolai Windbichler, Reader in Genetics at Imperial, and Dr Dickson Wilson Lwetoijera, Principal Research Scientist at Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania. Professor Christophides from Imperial’s Department of Life Sciences said: “The solutions we currently have for malaria are not enough – we need something new. “Our technology is equitable, it offers hope in the fight against malaria and doesn’t present economic or social barriers to malaria intervention access.”
Making sex deadly for insects could control pests that carry disease and harm crops
34559Bill Sullivan, The Conversation, 2025-03-04 17:08:29.
Insects do a lot more harm than ruining picnics. Some insects spread devastating diseases, while others cause staggering economic losses in agriculture. To control some of these pests, scientists are developing males that make sex a deadly event. The stakes are high. Mosquitoes carry viruses such as dengue, West Nile and Zika, as well as parasites that cause malaria. Researchers estimate that mosquitoes have caused the deaths of 52 billion people overall – nearly half of all the humans that have ever lived. Other insects cause major crop damage, jeopardizing the food supply and driving up prices. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 20% to 40% of global crop production is lost to pests annually at a cost of US$70 billion. Pesticides have been the front-line defense against insects, but many bugs have evolved resistance to these chemicals. Some pesticides can indiscriminately kill beneficial insects, harm the environment and endanger human and animal health. Some researchers worry that certain pesticides can cause cancer or have damaging effects on human nervous and endocrine systems. I’m a microbiology researcher studying infectious disease. New solutions that do not harm humans and the environment to control disease-carrying insects and agricultural pests could lead to fewer people contracting dangerous diseases. In the past few years, a variety of genetic engineering approaches have emerged as promising tactics to combat problematic insects.
A Gene Drive with a Disappearing Act Can Aid Pest Control
34537Shelby Bradford, PhD, The Scientist, 2025-02-21 12:02:41.
Geneticists developed a gene drive that reverts insecticide-resistant mutations in insects, using a system that gradually eliminates itself from the genome. This breakthrough offers a potential solution to combat insecticide resistance without permanently altering species, and could be adapted to mosquitoes and other pests in the future.
Progress made for blackchin tilapia control in Thailand
34535The Fish Site, 2025-02-21 11:50:45.
Despite tilapia being one of the most widely farmed fish in the global aquaculture industry, invasive populations of the blackchin tilapia - a cichlid native to West Africa - have been devastating the productivity of aquaculture operations throughout Thailand. However, a multi-stakeholder effort led by the country's Department of Fisheries has reported progress towards controlling this invasive species, turning an environmental challenge into a pathway for sustainable development and local economic growth. Forming part of a five-point government strategy to address the ecological challenges posed by invasive species, the Department of Fisheries has developed a specially engineered strain known as Blackchin Tilapia 4n - a genetically modified variant designed to inhibit reproduction. The experimental strain has been released at experimental sites this month to evaluate its effectiveness in reducing the invasive fish population. Simultaneously, another project is specifically geared towards assisting aquaculture producers. The Seabass Fund for Farmers assists farmers in reducing costs by introducing natural predators into aquaculture ponds, effectively managing the blackchin tilapia population. This programme was established by the Phetchaburi Provincial Fisheries Office to support small-scale farmers with revolving funds for purchasing seabass fingerlings, providing a sustainable solution for shrimp, fish, and crab farmers operating in semi-natural systems to control and reduce populations of the invasive cichlid. In addition to direct eradication efforts, the promotion of blackchin tilapia products, such as foods and feeds, is being used to encourage consumption of the fish, driving local economic growth. These initiatives have been implemented by Charoen Pokphand Foods throughout 2024, including the purchase of 2 million kilograms of Blackchin tilapia for fishmeal production. Charoen Pokphand has also extended assistance to fishing activities aimed at blackchin tilapia removal by supplying fishing equipment and necessary materials to participants. If successful, these programmes for the control of blackchin tilapia populations in Thailand could serve as a model for governmental and private-sector cooperation for environmental solutions and local economic development.
Uganda expands genetically modified mosquito survey in Mukono, Kalangala islands
34600David Ssekayinga, Monitor, 2025-02-05 10:38:42.
The Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) has extended its research on the behaviour of genetically modified mosquitoes to more islands on Lake Victoria. The two islands where similar research will be conducted are Sselinya in Kalangala District and Koome in Mukono District. Gene drive mosquitoes are among the anti-malarial strategies the Ugandan government has embarked on since 2016 under the Africa Target Malaria Project, seeking to reduce fatalities resulting from the disease in the country. Scientists say they aim to develop sterile male mosquitoes that wouldn't be capable of fertilizing the female Anopheles mosquitoes which spread malaria and also intend to reduce the population of female malaria-spreading mosquitoes by having them lay fewer eggs compared to the 300 eggs that a natural female Anopheles mosquito lays. According to Krystal Birungi, the field entomologist coordinator for the Target Malaria Uganda Project, differing results from the first research in villages on the mainland and the smaller islands prompted them to explore results on the larger islands.
Dissecting The Sterility Phenotype Of Drosophila Suzukii Males
34489Evrim Ağacı, The Pinnacle Gazette, 2025-02-04 17:43:46.
Groundbreaking findings on gene-edited males provide insights for pest management strategies. Researchers have made significant strides in controlling the invasive fruit pest Drosophila suzukii, commonly known as the spotted wing drosophila, utilizing innovative genetic engineering techniques to generate sterile males. This development could offer growers much-needed relief as traditional pest control methods face increasing challenges. Drosophila suzukii, native to East Asia, poses substantial threats to soft fruits, including strawberries and blueberries, by laying their eggs directly within the fruits, leading to damage and economic losses for farmers. With insecticide resistance on the rise and grower reliance on chemical management becoming less sustainable, there is urgent demand for novel pest control strategies. One promising approach is the precision-guided Sterile-Insect Technique (pgSIT), which employs CRISPR-based technology to develop sterile males efficiently. Unlike traditional Sterile-Insect Techniques, which involve labor-intensive processes like sex sorting and radiation to sterilize males, pgSIT simplifies the method and reduces costs by creating sterile males without offspring. The recent study, published on February 1, 2025, by researchers affiliated with Agragene Inc., aimed to dissect the sterility phenotype of these genetically modified males. It was found through multiple experiments and rigorous testing processes, including mating trials with wildtype females, determining the absence of mature sperm and the lack of genetic material transfer during mating.
Selfish Genetic Elements and Meiotic Drive in Drosophila
34367Nature Research Intelligence, 2025-01-28 14:04:45.
Selfish genetic elements are segments of DNA that can enhance their own transmission to the next generation, often at a cost to the organism's overall fitness. In Drosophila, or fruit flies, these elements can lead to a phenomenon known as meiotic drive, where certain alleles are preferentially passed on during reproduction, violating Mendel's law of equal segregation. Recent research has focused on understanding the mechanisms behind these selfish elements, their evolutionary implications, and how they can affect the fitness and reproductive success of their hosts.
Gene Drive Technology Offers Hope For Malaria Vector Control
34365Evrim Ağacı, The Pinnacle Gazette, 2025-01-28 13:46:11.
A team of scientists has developed an innovative gene drive targeting Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes, a key malaria vector in urban areas. Their strategy uses CRISPR technology to disrupt the doublesex (dsx) gene, crucial for female fertility, thereby reducing mosquito populations. The gene drive, called HSDdsx, showed promising results in suppressing mosquito reproduction with minimal resistance, indicating long-term effectiveness. This approach could help control malaria transmission and reduce reliance on pesticides. The research also opens doors for future advancements in pest control, with potential applications against other disease vectors, marking a significant step toward environmentally friendly solutions.
Genetically Engineered Male Insects Shorten Their Mates’ Lifespans
34253Sneha Khedkar, The Scientist, 2025-01-13 15:13:56.
On a still night, as the air is thick with silence, the sharp, whining buzz of a mosquito shatters the calm. These blood-sucking insects that disturb people’s deep slumber are also responsible for spreading diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, malaria and Zika fever, which affect millions of people each year worldwide. Given the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment, combined with the emergence of mosquitoes resistant to pesticides, scientists are looking for alternative environment-friendly approaches for pest management. Now, researchers have developed a new population control method where male insects carrying toxic proteins can poison disease-spreading females during mating. The results, published in Nature Communications, describe a genetic biocontrol method that offers a fast and effective solution to managing pests. Such approaches are not entirely new. In the 1950s, when researchers mated female insects with radiologically sterilized males, they did not produce offsprings, reducing the next generation’s population. More recently, scientists propagated transgenes in insects that lower the fitness of future generations, resulting in decreased insect population. Although such methods are promising, they require at least one generation to take effect: Female insects may not produce offsprings, but they can continue transmitting infections. “As we’ve learned from COVID-19, reducing the spread of these diseases as quickly as possible is important to prevent epidemics,” said study author Samuel Beach, a graduate student in biologist Maciej Maselko’s lab at Macquarie University, in a press release.
‘Toxic Male Technique’ promises faster biocontrol of mosquito populations
34223Macquarie University, Phys.org, 2025-01-07 20:57:52.
A new biological pest control method that targets the lifespan of female insects could significantly reduce the threat of insect pests such as disease-carrying mosquitoes by offering faster and more effective results than current methods. Described in Nature Communications, the technique developed by researchers in Applied BioSciences and the ARC Center of Excellence in Synthetic Biology at Macquarie University is a new approach called the Toxic Male Technique (TMT). It works by genetically engineering male insects to produce insect-specific venom proteins in their semen. When these males mate with females, the proteins are transferred, significantly reducing female lifespan and their ability to spread disease. Insect pests pose a growing threat to global health and agriculture, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths, millions of infections, and costing billions in health care and crop damage annually. In mosquitoes like Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae, only the females bite and transmit diseases such as malaria, dengue, Zika, chikungunya disease and yellow fever. Pesticides face declining effectiveness due to resistance and have caused harm to non-target species and ecosystems. Genetic biocontrol has emerged as a promising alternative. Current techniques like the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) or insects carrying lethal genes (RIDL) work by releasing massive numbers of sterilized or genetically modified males to mate with the wild females. While these mated females produce no offspring or only male offspring, they continue to blood-feed and spread disease until they die naturally—meaning populations of biting females only decrease when the next generation emerges. By immediately reducing the biting female population, TMT offers significant advantages over competing genetic biocontrol methods. "As we've learned from COVID-19, reducing the spread of these diseases as quickly as possible is important to prevent epidemics," says lead author Sam Beach.
Genetically modified mosquitoes could soon be released in one Australian state: everything you need to know
34220Maddison Leach, 9 News, 2025-01-07 20:50:29.
Mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever cause hundreds of thousands of deaths every year and a new venture wants to change that by introducing genetically modified mosquitoes (GMMs) right here in Australia. That venture is Oxitec Australia, a collaboration between the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and UK-based Oxitec Ltd, which has previously received backing from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Its goal is to introduce GMMs in parts of Queensland to reduce the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases and combat the threat of invasive and exotic species like Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. These invasive insects have already already spread through northern and central Queensland and can transmit dengue, which can be life-threatening in severe cases. However, Oxitec Australia can't start releasing GMMs to help combat these diseases in Australia until it has received approval from the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator. "It's a bit like the TGA [Therapeutic Goods Administration] for our medicines, but it's looking at genetically modified products, and it needs to go through the same type of rigorous process," Professor Brett Sutton, Director of Health and Biosecurity at CSIRO, told ABC's RN Radio.
Kenya Set to Introduce GMO Maize After Public Consultation Period
34217Martin Olage, Mwakilishi, 2025-01-07 20:44:12.
The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has completed a month-long public consultation regarding the potential market introduction of Genetically Modified (GM) maize, specifically known as BT Maize. This consultation, initiated in mid-December after an official notice on December 6, 2024, gathered feedback from Kenyan citizens as part of its due diligence process. This initiative follows a licensing request made by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF). The organizations aim to bring BT Maize—developed by Bayer Company and licensed to the TELA Maize project—into the market. This genetically modified maize is engineered to resist pests such as stem borers and fall armyworms, potentially decreasing the reliance on chemical insecticides in agriculture. Historically, Kenya has cultivated genetically modified crops for non-food purposes, including BT Cotton. The NBA has been active in conducting field trials with various GM crops: these include water-efficient maize in Makueni, enhanced maize suited for African agricultural conditions in Kitale, and virus-resistant sweet potatoes and cassava in Kakamega and Thika. Current trials are also evaluating GM potatoes in Nakuru and Kiambu, along with the cultivation of purple gypsophilia flowers in Naivasha. Kalro and AATF advocate that BT Maize presents a vital solution for minimizing crop damage caused by pests. They stress that the maize contains specific genes sourced from Bacillus thuringiensis, effectively targeting particular lepidopteran pests.
A Tiny but Mighty Helper Stops Mosquito Viruses in Their Tracks
Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, The Scientist, 2024-12-16 15:37:12.Luciano Moreira, a vector biologist and the project lead of the World Mosquito Program in Brazil, has always been driven by solving people’s problems. As a kid, he concocted blends of house-cleaning products to eliminate common home pests; in adulthood, Moreira channeled his problem-solving tendencies into finding innovative ways to tackle mosquito-borne pathogens for more than two decades. Now he tests these strategies to ease the burden of diseases that affect millions of people in his home country and around the world. Moreira worked on approaches to fight agricultural pests during his graduate studies at the Federal University of Viçosa. He focused on tomato leafminers, insects whose larvae feed on leaves and create white, winding trails called mines on their surfaces. Injured leaves tend to drop prematurely, and infested plants may lose most of their leaves, affecting fruit size and yield. By investigating plants that were resilient against leafminers, Moreira and his colleagues identified markers of resistance located on chromosome two of tomato plants. After concluding his graduate studies, he pursued a postdoctoral position at the laboratory of molecular entomologist Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena, now an emeritus researcher at John Hopkins University. Jacobs-Lorena and his team were interested in using transgenic mosquitoes to control the transmission of the single-celled parasite Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria. “We did lots of molecular biology, trying to find genes and promoters of the genes that would block Plasmodium inside the mosquitoes,” Moreira said.
Healthcare delivery in Africa still a big challenge, health experts warn
33880KBC News, 2024-12-10 16:59:08.
The adoption or harnessing of emerging technologies in the healthcare system in Africa to improve healthcare delivery remains low. It is reported that while the continent forms 18% of the global population, Africa accounts for 25% of the global diseases. Though there are already efforts by various member states to harness emerging technologies in healthcare, there are still barriers that need to be addressed to fully leverage the potential of emerging technologies to revolutionize healthcare systems across the continent. It is on this backdrop that regional economic communities (RECs) from East Africa, West African Health Organizations COMESA and Intergovernmental Authority on Development, gathered in Nairobi for a two-day forum to address challenges facing the countries in the region in the adoption of the emerging technologies in the health sector.
Genetic study solves the mystery of ‘selfish’ B chromosomes in rye
33606Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Phys.org, 2024-11-12 09:04:08.
Some chromosomes, such as B chromosomes, can increase their inheritance rate to their own advantage. These extra chromosomes are found in many plants, animals, and fungi and rely upon various strategies to avoid being eliminated over time, as most organisms tend to remove non-essential genetic elements. However, the genetic mechanisms by which B chromosomes avoid elimination are poorly understood. An international research team led by IPK Leibniz Institute identified genes on the rye B chromosome that are likely responsible for regulating this process. The results were published in Nature Communications. Supernumerary B chromosomes, unlike A (standard) chromosomes, are not required for the normal growth and development of organisms and as of 2024, B chromosomes have been discovered in almost 3,000 species from all eukaryotic phyla. Most B chromosomes confer no detectable selective consequences at low numbers, but increased numbers can result in phenotypic aberrations and reduced fertility. To avoid elimination, many B chromosomes influence cell division in their favor and increase their copy number in the process. This phenomenon is called chromosome drive. The "selfish" B chromosomes, therefore, only become active when their existence is at stake and not for the benefit of the plant.
Man Vs. Mosquito
33147Aman Vora, Brown Political Review, 2024-10-31 08:49:52.
It is a middle school math teacher’s favorite trivia question: What is the world’s deadliest animal? After images of a hunting tiger or towering gorilla flash through our imagination, we remember that it is the humble mosquito, whose terrible impact on human lives and healthcare systems is only projected to grow. As carbon emissions continue to rise with no plateau in sight, one oft-forgotten implication of increasing global temperatures is the devastating impact they will wreak on public health, with historically ignored diseases now able to thrive in a new, warmer climate. As global temperatures barrel toward the preferred range for mosquitoes, the number of individuals at risk for contracting malaria and dengue fever may increase by four to seven billion by 2070 relative to 1999. This threat is already a reality. Take dengue, for example: From 1980 to 1989, there were 1.5 million reported cases globally. Compare that to 2019 alone, when 5.2 million cases were reported. World Health Organization (WHO) officials described this astronomical rise in dengue as a “canary in the coalmine of the climate crisis.” No longer will mosquito-borne diseases primarily threaten equatorial regions—northern cities globally are all at risk due to the rise of Aegypti and Anopheles mosquitoes. Science: 0. Mosquitoes: 1. From bed nets to insecticides, progress is being made to combat this terrifying rise. But the current generation of anti-mosquito tools is not aggressive enough to mitigate this deadly problem: Bed nets do little to stop Aegypti, which primarily feed on blood during the day, and toxic insecticides have done little but harm the environment and drive mosquito resistance. In order to save lives from this man-made and mosquito-driven catastrophe, humanity must embrace its most promising scientific technologies: genetic engineering and Wolbachia bacteria, conscious that we are fighting against both Mother Nature and human nature itself.
Using genomics to find solutions to malaria
32714Morgan Morris, Nature Africa, 2024-10-22 17:47:10.
Joel Odero’s experiences of malaria is wide and deep. Growing up in a village in Kenya, he not only contracted the disease numerous times, but was all too familiar with the relentless daily regimen of spraying insecticides and checking malaria nets were not ripped. Decades later, as a research scientist with the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, he witnessed firsthand how, for many, that daily grind is still ongoing. As part of the institute’s teams that, between 2018 and 2022, spread out across the country to capture a range of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes for studying, he would collect samples from homes where people had to spray and check their nets every day. Odero is part of a generation of scientists trying to break the stranglehold of the Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit the disease-causing parasite. Their weapon of choice is genomics. It’s a challenge taken up by organizations like Target Malaria, a not-for-profit international research consortium featuring teams in Africa, the US and Europe, and funded by, among others, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Open Philanthropy. There, researchers’ game plan is simple: reduce the population numbers of the mosquitoes, specifically those of three related species responsible for most malaria transmissions in Africa – Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles coluzzii and Anopheles arabiensis. To do so, they are looking to capitalize on a naturally occurring phenomenon, gene drive. Often described as “selfish genetic elements”, taking the form of bits of DNA code, genes are ‘driven’ when a gene that has a favorable effect becomes more prevalent in successive generations. Typically, with both humans and mosquitoes, offspring inherit two copies of any gene, one from each parent. As a result, there is a 50/50 chance of either of the two copies being passed on to later generations. Using gene drives, researchers are manipulating the bias that is introduced to that rate of inheritance so that a specific trait is nearly 100% guaranteed to be passed on. Gene-drive malaria research takes on many forms. Two of the most popular are known as ‘population replacement’ and ‘population suppression’. With population replacement, the aim is to modify the mosquitoes so that they are no longer vectors, aka transmitters, of the malaria parasite. With population suppression – which the work of Target Malaria falls under – the goal is to reduce the mosquito population. Target Malaria’s strategy is to sterilise and reduce the number of female mosquitoes. The females transmit the malaria-causing parasite known as Plasmodium falciparum to humans, and whose numbers typically determine the size of a mosquito population. The gene drive approach would be a game changer, says Target Malaria’s Abdoulaye Diabaté, head of medical entomology and parasitology at Burkina Faso’s Research Institute in Health Sciences in Bobo-Dioulasso. “It’s clear that the tools that we have today are not the ones that can take us to malaria elimination,” says Diabaté. It is the failure of these ageing tools, or the fear that they might fail, that is driving the gene-based approach to malaria research in Africa and elsewhere.
Russia’s Latest Target in Africa: U.S.-Funded Anti-Malaria Programs
32704Elian Peltier, The New York Times, 2024-10-22 15:00:57.
The scientists sifting through thousands of genetically modified mosquito larvae in a laboratory in Burkina Faso were trying to stop the spread of malaria, one of the biggest killers on the African continent. But in the pro-Russian propaganda telling of their work, the scientists, helped by funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, were not protecting local people against malaria, they were infecting them. “Since these mosquitoes have arrived in Burkina, we’ve noticed an increase of malaria and dengue fever,” Egountchi Behanzin, a French-Togolese activist who often posts pro-Russian content, said in an interview. Mr. Behanzin could not cite any scientific evidence, and researchers say there are no grounds for such a claim. But his anti-Western messages, and his praise for Russia in Africa, are shared daily among his more than 600,000 followers on social media. His posts are seen as only one element in a recent pro-Russian disinformation operation that is targeting U.S.-funded health care programs in Africa. The attacks come at a time when ambitious initiatives and vaccines are being rolled out on a continent shaken by several epidemics, including a deadly outbreak of mpox. The apparent aim is to undermine public trust and bolster Russia’s steady attempt to weaken Western interests in Africa, according to U.S. and European officials.
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