evidence: Eradicating malaria has long been high on the list of Gates' priorities. His philanthropic investment foundation has been pouring money into various fields like malaria vaccine research for years, and he's been pushing for the idea of using genetically modified mosquitoes to eliminate the disease since 2016. That's just one year after Oxitec finished its first mass mosquito release in Brazil. "Genetically-modified mosquitoes are showing promise in controlling other vector-borne diseases, so we look forward to exploring their use alongside complementary interventions for malaria," Gates Foundation malaria director Philip Welkhoff said in a press release at the time. [...] READ MORE: Gates Foundation and Oxitec Fight Malaria with Genetically-Modified Mosquitoes [Labiotech]