Strengthening the UK’s preparedness against mosquito-borne disease

Today, in the Thames Pavilion at the Houses of Parliament, our CEO Professor James Logan joined experts and policymakers to highlight the growing threat of mosquito-borne disease in the UK.

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“For every one of us, there are 1 billion insects. It’s their planet too. While most are beneficial, mosquitoes transmit 20% of all infectious diseases worldwide. Climate change is reshaping the risk in profound ways.”

Professor James Logan, CEO & Co-founder at Arctech Innovation

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Key insights from James’ talk:

• Climate change is accelerating insect breeding, survival, and virus replication

• Mosquito-borne diseases are spreading into new geographies, including parts of Europe

• The UK already has mosquito species capable of carrying malaria, West Nile virus and Usutu virus

• Aedes albopictus (tiger mosquito), which spreads dengue, chikungunya and Zika, has been detected in the UK and modelling shows London could face endemic dengue by 2060

• Without action, most of England could be subject to Aedes mosquitoes by mid-century.

To protect public health he recommends:

• Long-term sustainable mosquito surveillance and control programmes

• Investment in research, innovation and policy

• Citizen engagement and education, building on successful EU models

• Reforms in urban planning to reduce mosquito breeding habitats

• Strong collaboration between government, public health bodies, and communities.

At Arctech Innovation, we believe the time to prepare and prevent is now. By embracing science, technology, and innovation, we can stay ahead of this challenge and safeguard our future health.