The World Mosquito Program works in Petrolina to protect communities from mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.
WMP has been actively working in Brazil since 2012 when it was called Eliminate Dengue: Challenge Brazil. In July 2021, the release of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with Wolbachia in Petrolina began in the communities of Antônio Cassimiro, Cosme e Damião, Dom Avelar, Jardim São Paulo, João de Deus, São Gonçalo, Novo Tempo and Pedra Linda and their surroundings. These pilot projects have been monitored since September 2021 and their results are recorded for analysis of the effectiveness in establishing Wolbachia mosquito populations in the region.
(Date updated June 2023)
In Petrolina, mosquitoes were released on a weekly basis by the municipal team, accompanied by a local WMP Brazil team member during the release period.
We have been monitoring the establishment of Wolbachia through the installation of ovitraps. This is being done by the Municipality of Petrolina with support from our local team.
A total number of 217,469 people have engaged in community activities organised by WMP and municipal teams. Many of these activities are organised to engage children and help them learn about mosquitoes through scientific experiments.
Teams from 14 health centres were trained and a Community Reference Group* was created with representatives from Transforma Petrolina, SESC & GRE (Regional Management of Education), UNIVASF, and the Municipal Health Council.
Progress updates
We’ve been working with communities in Brazil since 2012 to help prevent mosquito-borne diseases. Read our progress updates to see our latest news.
