Harvard researchers have discovered a new way to stop malaria transmission—by giving mosquitoes malaria drugs that kill the parasite inside them.
In a pioneering study, US scientists have identified a pair of drugs that can rid mosquitoes of the malaria parasite, offering a new front in the global fight against the disease that kills nearly 600,000 people annually, mostly children.
Traditionally, malaria prevention has focused on killing mosquitoes with insecticides, particularly via bed nets. But growing resistance to insecticides has weakened this approach. Now, researchers at Harvard University have shown that applying anti-malaria drugs to mosquito contact surfaces—such as bed nets—can successfully eliminate the parasite within the insect without needing to kill it.
Dr Alexandra Probst, lead researcher, said, “We haven’t really tried to kill the parasite inside the mosquito before—only the mosquito itself. But that approach is no longer cutting it.”
The drugs, when absorbed through the mosquitoes’ legs, were found to kill 100% of the parasites. Crucially, even if a mosquito survives contact with a drug-coated net, it will no longer be able to spread malaria.
Since each infected mosquito carries far fewer parasites than a human host, the likelihood of the parasite developing drug resistance is also reduced, the team said.
The treatment’s effectiveness has been demonstrated in laboratory settings, and field trials in Ethiopia are planned. If successful, dual-action bed nets coated with both insecticides and anti-malaria drugs could be widely deployed in the next six years.
Researchers hope the innovation will provide a longer-lasting and more effective solution in malaria-prone regions.
According to the World Health Organization's latest World malaria report, there were an estimated 263 million cases and 597 000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2023.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 10th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
Measles cases across Europe and Central Asia fell sharply in 2025 compared to the previous year but health officials have warned that the risk of fresh outbreaks remains unless vaccination gaps are urgently addressed.
A Florida university has become a new hotspot in a widening U.S. measles outbreak, with health officials confirming multiple infections and hospitalisations.
The World Health Organization has added the Nipah virus to its list of the world’s top 10 priority diseases, alongside COVID-19 and the Zika virus, warning that its epidemic potential highlights the global risk posed by fast-spreading outbreaks.
Belgian authorities are examining suspected cases of infants falling ill after consuming recalled Nestle baby formula, amid warnings that confirmed infections may be underestimated due to limited testing requirements.
Two Nipah infections involving health workers in India have triggered heightened screening across Southeast Asia as authorities move to prevent the high fatality virus from spreading beyond the country.
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