Orbit Service Partners Inc., a Barbados registered company and an emerging provider of innovative solutions in the field of public health, announces a groundbreaking collaboration with Verily, an Alphabet precision health technology company based in South San Francisco, USA, to introduce the Debug programme in Barbados and the Caribbean. Orbit Service Partners is the first group commercially licensed to operate the Verily Debug vector control programme.

This initiative aims to significantly reduce populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, carriers of diseases such as dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya, in the Caribbean Region.

The Debug programme uses advanced technology to rear and release non-biting, non-GMO Aedes aegypti male mosquitoes which are effectively sterile because they carry a naturally-occurring bacterium called Wolbachia which makes them unable to have viable offspring with wild female mosquitoes. This innovative method has shown extremely promising results in other regions, including Fresno, California and Northern Australia, and Orbit Services Partners will now be able to deploy this technology in the Caribbean to address the mosquito-borne disease challenges faced by the region.

Key Highlights of the Debug Programme:

1.  Wolbachia Bacteria Approach: The programme leverages Aedes aegypti male mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia bacteria, a natural occurring and safe bacterium that has proven effective in suppressing and reducing the population of disease-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

2.  Collaborative Expertise: Orbit Service Partners and Verily bring together their collective expertise in public health, technology, logistics and research to enable a comprehensive and sustainable solution to combat Aedes aegypti mosquito borne diseases.

3.  Regional Impact: The initiative is designed to have a positive impact not only in Barbados but throughout the Caribbean region. By targeting Aedes aegypti mosquito populations, the programme aims to contribute to the overall improvement of public health and well-being of residents in the Caribbean.

“We are excited to partner with Verily to bring the Debug programme to Barbados and the wider Caribbean,” said Anthony DaSilva, Chairman at Orbit Service Partners. “This collaboration represents a significant step forward in our commitment to advancing public health solutions and reducing the impact of mosquito-borne diseases in the region. We are humbled yet excited to have an opportunity to continue Verily’s work to mitigate mosquito borne diseases that continue to have devastating impacts across our region,”

“Verily is proud to partner with Orbit Service Partners to address one of the most challenging public health problems—the spread of mosquito-borne diseases,” said Linus Upson, Vice President of Engineering at Verily. “The Debug programme applies the latest in technology and life science research to make a meaningful impact in the fight against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and deliver on our promise of advancing precision health worldwide by helping communities live healthier lives.”