r/technology • u/lurker_bee • 23h ago

Biotechnology Burkina Faso says no to Bill Gates’ plan of creating modified species of mosquitoes

https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/burkina-faso-says-no-to-bill-gates-plan-of-creating-modified-species-of-mosquitoes/xyk7xm8
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u/Calm-Director-8896 22h ago

But they can't do it themselves. I know that by the fact they haven't done it yet.

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u/Stodles 22h ago

Maybe the fact that half the country is controlled by Al Qaeda/ISIS and they're focused on that has something to do with it...

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u/General_Session_4450 20h ago

Sounds like a good reason to accept outside help while they sort that issue out then.

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u/AccomplishedFail2247 19h ago

Ah, if only they hadn’t kicked out the French military that was fighting them then…

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u/puffz0r 19h ago

"The French can't do it (fighting Al Qaeda/ISIS) themselves. I know that by the fact that they haven't done it yet". The French were there for a long time and they had zero effect on stopping terrorists from menacing the country.

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u/AccomplishedFail2247 18h ago

And the Wagner group is better? War is famously slow, deadly and expensive. There is no winning a war, just not losing lmao.

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u/puffz0r 18h ago

I didn't say they were? If you want Al Qaeda and ISIS to stop maybe pressure the gulf states to cut their funding and arms shipments.

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u/Calm-Director-8896 22h ago

Then they are stupid, Malaria kills more

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u/hitbythebus 22h ago

To be fair, Bill Gates hasn’t used his genetically modified bloodsuckers to eliminated them yet either.

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u/Calm-Director-8896 22h ago

Gates is the one offering it, they declined. Or is reading not your strong suit?

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u/hitbythebus 22h ago

I’m mocking you because of your “they can’t because they haven’t ”.

It’s a stupid thing to say, because there are always firsts and the human capacity to grow and learn.

I’m just pointing out that you can say “bill can’t and I know because he hasn’t” even though he has plans and the means.

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u/Calm-Director-8896 22h ago

Yet they dont have the means, and they turned down someone with the means, all on some stupid national pride.

They cant because they dont have the means so they haven't.

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u/saxbophone 20h ago

It's silly to say "they haven't yet done it so they can't" when Gates' iniative hasn't achieved its goals yet either. That is the point.

Notwithstanding the fact this is an awful move and I share you doubt they will achieve it themselves.

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u/Calm-Director-8896 19h ago

Your second statement is my point. I was just being reductive to be succinct, albeit snarky.

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u/scrollin_on_reddit 20h ago

Can’t do it on their own? The program included scientists from across Africa. Here’s why they stopped the program days after another batch of the mosquitoes was released:

“The problem is the solution proposed by Target Malaria, which consists of eliminating the vector using gene-drive mosquitoes,”

He added that “This technology is highly controversial, unpredictable, and raises ethical concerns. More specifically, the impacts of gene-drive organisms on health and ecosystems remain unknown and potentially irreversible.”