Mosquito-borne diseases are one of the greatest global health threats, infecting around 700 million people every year with Zika virus, dengue fever, malaria and yellow fever — which can all be deadly if left untreated. Unfortunately, the mosquito population is not slowing down, and factors like climate change and increased global travel are broadening the mosquito's range. The effort to stop the mosquito is not an easy task; insecticides and vaccines can't completely stop the spread of these diseases. But instead of trying to kill mosquitoes, one nonprofit is taking a unique approach.


Scientist Scott O'Neill is founder and CEO of the World Mosquito Program, a nonprofit group with the goal of eliminating mosquito-borne diseases. The program is implementing a new method of inoculating the wild population of mosquitoes with a bacteria called Wolbachia, which is resistant to diseases. So far, the program has been rolled out in countries like Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Australia and Mexico – and has already seen success in reducing rates of disease.


Link to the advertised Chicago Booth Review Podcast: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/review/p... (https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/ww...)

00:00 Introduction to the Leadership and Society Initiative
00:37 The Growing Threat of Mosquitoes
01:13 The Global Impact of Mosquito-Borne Diseases
01:45 The Increasing Threat of Dengue Fever
03:01 The Challenges of Mosquito Control
03:24 The World Mosquito Program's Innovative Solution
04:15 Big Brains Podcast Introduction
04:42 Understanding Mosquitoes and Disease Transmission
06:48 The Impact of Human Actions on Mosquito Populations
09:15 The Devastating Effects of Dengue Fever
12:35 The Role of Wolbachia in Disease Control
20:53 The World Mosquito Program's Global Impact
25:04 The Challenges and Future of the World Mosquito Program
30:18 Conclusion and Final Thoughts