A DEPARTMENT in the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development ministry has embarked on a research initiative aimed at utilising fish to manage mosquito populations in malaria-prone areas.
The research, which commenced in September this year at the Henderson Fisheries Unit in Mazowe, is based on the common tilapia fish.
Researchers are exploring its potential as a biological method to help reduce the transmission of malaria.
Lorraine Salimu, a fisheries and aquaculture expert at the Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Production Department in the ministry, revealed the initiative during a recent National Stakeholders' Consultation and Validation Workshop for the National Blue Economy Strategy in Siavonga, Zambia recently.
“We initiated this research in September to coincide with the production season and the peak breeding period for mosquitoes.
“We have set aside six research ponds for the initial phase and the tilapia are currently adapting to their new surroundings,” she said.
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Tilapia was chosen for the project due to its natural diet, which includes insect larvae such as mosquitoes.
Salimu said as tilapia farming expanded in Zimbabwe the approach not only addressed the mosquito issue linked to stagnant water in ponds but also promoted food security, income generation and had nutritional benefits.
Research indicates that a single Nile tilapia can consume as many as 111 mosquito larvae in 24 hours.
However, further assessments are needed to determine the effectiveness of this method in controlling malaria and how it might be integrated into public health strategies.
The World Health Organisation has included the biological control of malaria vectors in its disease control policy documents, recommending the stocking of ponds, rivers and other water bodies near human habitats with larvivorous fish to help reduce the transmission of the Plasmodium parasite.
Similar studies have been conducted globally, utilising different fish species, such as mosquitofish, particularly in Australia.
Mosquitofish have been introduced into ecosystems worldwide as a biocontrol measure to decrease mosquito populations.
Meanwhile, the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) has pledged its commitment to aiding Zimbabwe in its fight against malaria.
Addressing a gathering at the Sadc Malaria Day commemorations in Murewa last weekend, USAid mission director Janean Davis said they would invest more in eliminating the disease that continued to claim many in the region, Zimbabwe included.
So far the US government has provided nearly US$10 billion in malaria support across sub-Saharan Africa, including an investment of US$191 million in Zimbabwe since 2011.
“Together, we have reduced malaria infections by 56%. We have reduced deaths by 65% over the last 10 years. We have protected 5,3 million Zimbabwean homes from malaria.
“These are more than numbers. These are lives saved and a testament to the shared commitment of the American and Zimbabwean people to a healthier future for Zimbabwe.
“Still, malaria continues to affect half of Zimbabwe’s population. That is why we remain a steadfast partner, working hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to prevent and deliver the needed malaria services and commodities to the community.”
Davis said since 2011, the US government had provided more than 9,8 million mosquito nets to families living in high-risk areas.
“To date, we have also made available 14,5 million kits for testing infection, 8,9 million quality drugs to treat malaria and 3,9 million drugs to prevent malaria infection for pregnant women,” she said.
Davis said the United States, through the President's Malaria Initiative, shared Sadc’s vision of a malaria-free region.
“The commemoration of the regional Sadc Malaria Day marks another step forward in making this shared vision a reality,” she said, adding that numbers showed that “we can make remarkable strides in eliminating malaria and building a healthier, safer future for all”.