Context
Anopheles stephensi is a mosquito species that is capable of transmitting both Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax malaria parasites. It was originally native to South Asia and parts of the Arabian Peninsula but has been expanding its range over the last decade, with detections reported in Djibouti (2012), Ethiopia and Sudan (2016), Somalia (2019), Nigeria (2020) and Ghana and Kenya (2022). To date, it remains unclear when and via which route these countries were invaded. Although An. stephensihas likely spread to other African countries, it has yet to be detected as systematic, large-scale surveillance of the vector is still in its infancy.
Anopheles stephensi has the capacity to thrive in urban and man-made environments, setting it apart from the other main mosquito vectors of malaria that primarily breed in naturally occurring waterbodies in rural areas. The invasion of An. stephensi in sub-Saharan Africa – where the burden of malaria is highest and over 40% of the population lives in urban environments – is particularly worrying. Since 2012, An. stephensiis thought to have contributed to a resurgence of malaria in Djibouti City and at least one outbreak of the disease in Ethiopia. While the overall contribution of An. stephensi to malaria transmission in the region is unclear, the rapid growth of many African cities, coupled with the invasion and spread of this highly efficient and adaptable malaria vector, could undermine the gains made in reducing the burden of the disease.
In a 2019 vector alert, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified the spread of An. stephensi as a significant threat to malaria control and elimination – particularly in Africa. An updated vector alert, published in January 2023, provided new data on the presence of An. stephensi and additional guidance for national malaria control programmes. WHO launched an initiative in September 2022 to further raise awareness of this threat and to catalyze existing work by its Member States and their implementing partners to stop the spread of An. stephensi in the African region. A key aim of this undertaking is to determine whether the vector can be eliminated from areas that have already been invaded.
To provide further guidance on preventing the spread of An. stephensi in Africa, and to provide a strategic framework for elimination of An. stephensi where feasible, WHO has developed a Strategy to eliminate invasive Anopheles stephensi from Africa.
Request
WHO requests feedback on the draft Strategy to eliminate invasive Anopheles stephensi from Africa. The draft strategy can be accessed here. Please use the spreadsheet here for providing comments.
Feedback on the document should be sent by 30 April 2026.