Two students from Burkina Faso have created a soap that repels mosquitoes and kills the larvae of the insect that transmits malaria, preventing their proliferation in stagnant water. Malaria thus gains a strong rival, which combines science with innovation.
The malaria soap gave the young creators Moctar Dembele and Gerard Niyondiko, students of the International Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering, the title of winners of the “Global Social Venture Competition” of the University of Berkeley, in the United States, with a work that can save millions of lives.
The product was named “Faso soap” and its ingredients include shea butter, a tree of the genus Vitellaria that grows on the savannas of West Africa, citronella oil, with repellent and antibacterial properties, among other products that were not disclosed.
Malaria is still the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa, where despite its existence the means of protection are ineffective or inaccessible to the majority of the population.
“By incorporating the repellent into a daily consumer product we will increase access to protection against malaria” said, in an interview with the website Inside Africa, Lisa Barutel, the team’s mentor from the International Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering, located in the capital Ouagadougou.
Lisa says that the initial tests were conducted on a small sample of the population with satisfactory results, and that further analyses are underway to improve the composition of the product.
“The soap can be used at any time, especially at night, to act as a repellent,” notes Lisa.
The students’ mentor also mentors that the soap has a strong but pleasant smell, and that it is produced with local resources to promote the economic development of the country.
Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito. It is the leading tropical parasitosis and one of the most frequent causes of death in African children.
According to the WHO, more than 220 million new cases are reported worldwide each year (90% of which are in sub-Saharan Africa).
