Abstract
BackgroundInnovative tools are needed to complement the existing approach for malaria elimination. Gene drive mosquitoes are one potential new technology in the control of malaria vectors. Target Malaria is one of the research projects developing this technology, and in July 2019, the project proceeded to an important step for this evaluation pathway: the small-scale release of non-gene drive sterile male mosquitoes in a village in Burkina Faso. In addition to the entomological and laboratory work to prepare for this important milestone, significant community and stakeholder engagement work was done. The existing guidelines on gene drive mosquito provide an overall framework for such engagement work. However, they do not provide a road map on how to proceed or what benchmarks should be used to assess this work.MethodsThis study provides a review of engagement activities relevant to field trials on non-gene drive genetically-modified mosquitoes as well as an assessment framework—using both qualitative and quantitative studies as well as an audit procedure. The latter was implemented to evaluate whether the release activities could proceed with the appropriate level of agreement from the community.ResultsThis paper shows the importance of this first phase of work to innovate and learn about engagement processes for responsible research in the field of genetic approaches for malaria vector control. The function of these assessments is crucial for the learning agenda. The assessments demonstrated ways to increase understanding and ensure effective progress with field studies and, therefore, the pathway for responsible research.ConclusionGene drive technology is increasingly considered as a promising approach to control vector borne diseases, in particular malaria. Stakeholders’ involvement in this research process is one of the recurring requirements in international guidance documents. With this paper Target Malaria offers an opportunity to explore the practical achievements and challenges of stakeholder engagement during early phases of a technology evaluation, and in particular how it implemented an assessment framework to learn from its experience.
Highlights
Innovative tools are needed to complement the existing approach for malaria elimination
Stakeholder engagement prior to release of non‐gene drive sterile male mosquitoes Stakeholder identification and prioritization Target Malaria’s engagement strategy recognizes that there is a need to engage populations that are affected to various degrees by the research activities, as the National Academy of Sciences Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) definitions allude to: communities where research is taking place and directly affecting the population, stakeholders who are not directly affected but who might have an interest in the activity and require consultation, and the public at large [16]
The engagement strategy was inclusive but prioritized groups directly affected by research activities, including field entomological studies, and the small-scale release of the non-gene drive genetically-modified mosquitoes
Summary
Innovative tools are needed to complement the existing approach for malaria elimination. The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently consulting stakeholders to update its 2016–2030 Global Technical Strategy for malaria with an added focus on the "country ownership and leadership", including community participation, and the need to foster "innovation in tools and implementation approaches" [5]. As part of this effort, scientists have been researching genetic approaches that could provide a complementary tool in the fight against malaria. The technology would complement the existing vector control tools, such as Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN) or Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), which have been facing challenges due to mosquito resistance to insecticide and biting behaviour changes [2, 9, 10]
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