Advances in Vector Control and Gene Drive Technologies for Sustainable Malaria Elimination in Sub-Saharan Africa
Nalongo Bina K.
Faculty of Medicine Kampala International University Uganda
ABSTRACT
Malaria transmission in sub-Saharan Africa remained critically dependent on Anopheles mosquito vectors, with existing control strategies including insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying facing challenges from insecticide resistance, behavioral adaptation, and operational sustainability limitations. Innovative vector control approaches, particularly gene drive technologies that propagated desired traits through mosquito populations, offer transformative potential for malaria elimination. This review examined recent advances in vector control methodologies and gene drive systems, evaluating their molecular mechanisms, implementation feasibility, ecological implications, and potential contribution to sustainable malaria elimination in sub-Saharan Africa. A comprehensive analysis of contemporary literature on novel vector control strategies, CRISPR-based gene drives, population suppression and modification approaches, insecticide resistance mechanisms, and field implementation studies was conducted. Conventional vector control efficacy has declined due to widespread pyrethroid resistance mediated by target site mutations and metabolic detoxification mechanisms. Next-generation insecticides targeting alternative physiological pathways showed promise but required integrated resistance management. CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive systems enabled population suppression through female sterility or sex ratio distortion, and population modification through antipathogen effector genes that block Plasmodium transmission. Laboratory cage trials demonstrated drive efficiency exceeding 95 percent, though ecological modeling reveals potential for resistance allele evolution and drive failure. Regulatory frameworks, community engagement protocols, and contained field trial designs are advancing toward responsible testing. Gene drive technologies represented a paradigmatic shift in vector control, offering self-sustaining interventions that could dramatically reduce malaria transmission. However, substantial uncertainties regarding ecological consequences, resistance evolution, transboundary governance, and equitable access necessitate cautious, stepwise progression with robust monitoring and adaptive management frameworks to ensure sustainable and ethical deployment.
Keywords: Malaria vector control, Gene drive technology, Anopheles mosquitoes, Insecticide resistance, CRISPR-Cas9.
CITE AS: Nalongo Bina K. (2026). Advances in Vector Control and Gene Drive Technologies for Sustainable Malaria Elimination in Sub-Saharan Africa. IDOSR JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY, BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ALLIED FIELDS 11(1):77-83. https://doi.org/10.59298/IDOSR/JBBAF/2026/1027783