Bill Gates Releases Hundreds of Millions of Bacteria-Infected Mosquitoes Across Colombia
by Frank Bergman
A growing number of experts are raising the alarm over billionaire Bill Gates’s extensive involvement in genetically modified mosquito projects after it emerged that the Microsoft co-founder has released hundreds of millions of bacteria-infested mosquitoes into the wild in Colombia.
The revelation is drawing renewed scrutiny to Gates’s other mosquito-based biological interventions around the world, with scientists warning that the long-term consequences remain largely unknown.
The concerns intensified after the government of Burkina Faso terminated the controversial Target Malaria project last year, citing biosafety risks, questionable effectiveness, and concerns over scientific sovereignty.
The project had received significant funding from the Gates Foundation and Open Philanthropy and allegedly sought to use genetically modified mosquitoes as a tool to combat malaria.
The decision marked a major setback for one of the world’s most ambitious genetic engineering programs involving insect populations.
Burkina Faso Pulls Plug on Gates-Backed Mosquito Project
Target Malaria launched operations in Burkina Faso in 2012 as part of a broader international effort to deploy gene-editing technologies against malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
In August 2025, Burkina Faso’s government ordered an immediate halt to all project activities and directed that remaining mosquito samples be destroyed.
Officials cited public health concerns, environmental risks, and a desire to maintain national control over scientific research conducted within the country.
Target Malaria’s work focused on genetically altering mosquito populations, including the development of so-called “gene drives” designed to spread engineered traits through wild mosquito populations.
Critics have warned that once released into the environment, such modifications could be impossible to reverse.
The Gates Foundation has invested tens of millions of dollars into the initiative, including grants supporting research facilities and field trials across multiple African nations.