Target Malaria activities suspended in Burkina Faso

Target Malaria wishes to share with you an important update.  

The National Biosafety Agency (ANB) and the National Environmental Assessment Agency (ANEVE) responded favourably in July 2025 to the authorisation request submitted by the Target Malaria Burkina Faso team based at the Institute of Health Sciences Research (IRSS) to conduct controlled releases of non gene drive genetically modified mosquitoes male bias mosquitoes. As part of this process, the Ethics Committee for Health Research (CERS) also issued its approval.  

In addition to the regulatory authorisations obtained from the ANB and ANEVE, the project received agreement from the communities of the field sites to proceed with the activities in their villages. 

On 11 August 2025, one small scale release of non gene drive genetically modified male bias mosquitoes took place successfully, in accord with terms and conditions of the ANB and ANEVE permits.  

On 18 August, the national authorities requested the Target Malaria team at IRSS to suspend all their activities. The IRSS team complied with the request.  

On 22 August, the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation issued a communiqué informing “the Burkinabè public that it has terminated all the activities of the project Target Malaria on its territory”.  

The IRSS team, as part of the Target Malaria project, has operated since 2012 in compliance with the national laws of Burkina Faso. We have engaged actively with the national authorities and stakeholders of Burkina Faso and remain ready to cooperate.  

Notes:  

The authorisations granted were as follows:  

• An authorisation under the regulatory requirements for biosafety, granted by the National Biosafety Agency (Agence national de biosécurité – ANB), under the technical supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation;  

(Decision No. 2025-000007/MESRI/SG/ANB of 11 July 2025 authorising the controlled release of non gene drive genetically modified male bias mosquitoes Ac(PMB)1) 

• An environmental and social feasibility permit, based on a review of an independent Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) by the National Agency for Environmental Assessments (Agence Nationale des Evaluations Environnementales – ANEVE) under the Ministry of the Environment.  

Decree No. 2025-924/MEEA/SG/ANEVE of 15 July 2025 giving a favourable opinion on the environmental feasibility of the Ac(PMB)1 mosquito release project)