ISCEP 2026 At Sunway Putra Hotel 17-18 August 2026
ABSTRACT
INVITED SPEAKER 1
WOLBACHIA MALAYSIA: TRANSLATING RESEARCH INTO PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACT
Nazni WA", Cheong YL, Farah DA', Kamarul MRG, Arif MAK, Zatil AMZ, Nizam MN, Irwan MS', Lee HL, Ami Fazlin SM, Wan MK, Perada WP, Khadijah K, Norazman MR, Hanipah S', Hoffmann A', Sinkins S*
Medical Entomology Unit Infectious Disease Research Cenee site for Medical Research Kala Lumpur Mys Breedical Mysere Unit Special Resource Cente, este for Medical Research Kuala Lumpur Malaysia se for Medical Research National sites of Health Ministry of Health Malesia Shab Alan Selangor Malaysia Vector Borse Disease Control Section Disease Contol Division Ministry of Health Malesia Pa Malesia Enology and Pest hit Vector Borne Disease Control Laboratory Selangor State Health Department King Selangor Malaysi Heath Department of Federal Tentory of Kle Lamp & Pak Jalan Cenderaan Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Pest and Ennstal Research Group School of BioSciences The University of Melbesme Parkle VIC 3310 Au MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virs Research Osgowe UK
ABSTRACT
Malaysia has pioneered the implementation of the Wolbachis population replacement strategy as an innovative and sustainable approach for dengue contral in a tropical, dangue-andemic setting. The programme began in 2016 as a research initiative led by the Institute for Medical Research (MRL, Ministry of Health Malaysia, with community engagement conducted by the Institute for Health Behavioural Research (IHBR). Following successful stakeholder engagement, the first release of wbB-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes was undertaken in Kuala Lumpur in March 2017 The wAlbB strain was selected for its superior heat tolerance and strong dengue virus-blocking capacity under tropical conditions. Extensive Seld evaluations demonstrated stable Wolbachia establishment, persistence, and substantial reductions in dengue transmission providing the evidence for nationwide operationalisation by the Ministry of Health Malaysia in 2019. To date, the programme has expanded to 71 dengue hotspot localities across nine states. comprising 18 research and 53 operational sites, protecting approximately 313,000 residents. Long-term surveillance has confirmed sustained Wolbachia establishment, with intervention sites reporting 60-80% reductions in dengue incidence following implementation. As the programme expanded, IMR continued to provide scientific leadership through research, innovation, and technical oversight, while large-scale mosquito production was transitioned to a public-private partnership model to support sustainable implementation. Ongoing research includes the evaluation of Wolbachis-infected Aedes albopictus to broaden vector coverage and further optimise dengue control strategies. Despite these achievements, dengue remains a major public health challenge in Malaysia. As of Epidemiological Week 28, 2026, 42.848 dengue cases and 34 deaths were reported, representing increases of 348% and 78.9%, respectively. compared with the same period in 2025. With more than 60% of dengue cases occurring in the Kang Valley, expanding Wolbachia implementation across this highly endemic urban region is essential to maximise population-level impact. Malaysia's programme demonstrates how scientific innovation, strong community engagement, and multisectoral collaboration can successfully translate research into sustainable public health practice while providing a scalable model for other dengue-endemic countries.
Keywords: Wolbachia, Aedes aegypti dengue hotspots, population replacement, translational research, operationalisation
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON ENTOMOLOGY AND PEST SCEP) 2005