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The World Mosquito Program has been working with health authorities in Kiribati to implement the Wolbachia method, helping to protect communities from mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.

The World Mosquito Program in Kiribati is part of a global, not-for-profit initiative that is working to protect local communities from mosquito-borne diseases.

Dengue, Zika and chikungunya have a long history in the Pacific, including Kiribati. The World Mosquito Program has partnered with the Kiribati Government to bring our Wolbachia method to local communities. Funded and supported by the Australian Government, the initiative has been rolled out in high-risk communities across South Tarawa, including Betio, between June 2018 and June 2019.

We have introduced naturally occurring Wolbachia bacteria into the local mosquito populations by releasing Wolbachia mosquitoes. These mosquitoes breed with wild mosquitoes in the area and, over time, almost all mosquitoes will carry Wolbachia. Mosquitoes that carry Wolbachia have a reduced ability to transmit viruses to people, decreasing the risk of outbreaks of dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.

(Data updated June 2023)

school program in Kribati
Project sites
1
Number of people reached
25,000
Total area reached
1.5 km²
Kiribati
 
Kiribati

Project sites

The World Mosquito Program has worked with the community in South Tarawa, including Betio.

Want to learn more about the World Mosquito Program and our sustainable and nature-based Wolbachia method?