Scientists will soon launch a birth control program for one of the world's most deadly animals — mosquitoes — responsible for one million deaths every year.

Under the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), a large population of male mosquitoes would undergo sterilization in specialized facilities. These sterilized males would be released in the wild to mate with females, but they won't be able to reproduce, declining the insects' population in a few years.

Scientists believe the technique would strengthen global efforts to control mosquito-borne diseases like chikungunya, dengue and Zika. "Half the world's population is now at risk of dengue," said Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO).

"And despite our best efforts, current efforts to control it are falling short. We desperately need new approaches, and this initiative is both promising and exciting."

There are more than 3,000 species of mosquitoes in the world, but the Aedes species is responsible for causing deadly chikungunya, dengue, Zika and yellow fever that claim 70,000 lives each year.

Developed jointly by the Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), International Atomic Energy Agency, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and WHO, the initiative would target Aedes mosquitoes. 

Since the last decade, South Asian countries have seen a dramatic rise in the number of dengue patients, with 92,000 cases of the disease reported since January 2019 alone.

"Countries seriously affected by dengue and Zika have shown real interest in testing this technology as it can help suppress mosquitoes that are developing resistance to insecticides, which are also negatively impacting the environment,"said Florence Fouque, a scientist at TDR.

Initially developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, SIT was first used to target insect pests, including the Mediterranean fruit fly and the New World screwworm fly, species which attack crops and livestock. It is currently in use globally in the agriculture sector on six continents, the WHO statement said.

"The use of the Sterile Insect Technique in the agriculture sector in the past 60 years has shown that it is a safe and effective method," said Jérémy Bouyer, a medical entomologist at the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.

Jamaica has already approved a sterilization pilot project to crack down on Aedes mosquitoes. The country plans to reduce the number of cases related to mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue with the mosquito sterilization plan. 

"Jamaica is the only Caribbean country that will be piloting the SIT," Dr. Sherine Huntley Jones, director of the country's Vector Control Programme, told Jamaica Information Service.