NEW MOSQUITO NET DEVELOPED TO ROLL BACK MALARIA AT GRASSROOTS

Health minister, Prof Chukwu
As malaria remains a major health issue in Nigeria, more people and organizations are joining forces to tame the monster in the country. One of such organizations, EuroAfric Index Health and Safety Supplies Ltd, has made available long- lasting insecticide treated mosquito nets to the generality of Nigerians.

After an indepth laboratory study of deltamethrin, the World Health Organisation (WHO), approved insecticide for long-lasting insecticide mosquito nets, the organization has come out with a mosquito net, Yorkool, which is made according to WHO specifications and evaluation carried out according to WHO Pesticide Control body, WHOPES, recommendations and procedures.

Chief Executive Officer of EuroAfric Index Health and Safety Supplies Ltd, Mr. Pat Obiefule, disclosed that non-blood fed females of Anopheles gambiae, two to five day old, were used for the study. 'This strain is a standard susceptible strain, originated from Kenya, colonized for many years in our laboratory and free of any detectable insecticide resistance mechanism,' he said.

On the wash resistance of the net, Obiefule said the resistance of the Yorkool long lasting insecticide treated mosquito net to washing was determined through standard bioassays carried out on nets washed at intervals required for regeneration, using the standard WHO wash and dry and held at 30 degrees centigrade.

'To determine the time period required for regeneration of the long lasting insecticide treated nets, after standard washing and holding at 30 degrees centigrade, bioassays were carried out at constant interval of time.'

WHO requirements stipulates that nets washed 20 times that cause 80 percent mortality and/or 95 percent knockdown of mosquitomeet the criteria to undergo Phase II. WHO requirements also stipulates that nets washed 20 times that cause 80 percent mortality and/or 90 percent blood feeding inhibition meet the criteria to undergo phase II. 'The Yorkool long lasting insecticide net met all these requirements,' Obiefule said.

'The net also has met with all requirements of World Health Organization Pesticide Control body (WHOPES). WHOPES promotes and co-ordinates the testing and evaluation of pesticides for public health; collects, consolidates, evaluates and disseminates information on the use of pesticides for public health; recommends long-lasting insecticide nets based on trials. Long-lasting nets are given interim approval, based on wash resistance, for 3 years before full-recommendation based on large scale trials. 'Our net has been through that', Obiefule assured.'

WHO defines measures of effectiveness of long-lasting nets and sets minimum standard for these measures, however, WHOPES puts the final seal of approval on nets. All WHOPES approved nets are known to be effective.

'Our goal is to have all Nigerians have long-lasting insecticide treated nets. We are going to make them available and affordable,' Obiefule declared.

'I have seen people die of malaria, I have lost loved ones to malaria. As a Nigerian, I have experienced mosquito bites myself, that moved me to do something.

'I am fortunate to come in contact with partners who has gotten WHOPES approval to manufacture and distribute mosquito nets.

'With different brands of long -lasting mosquito treated nets in the market, there will be healthy competition, quality assurance and the price will also stabilize. Affordable mosquito nets is very important, especially for those at the grassroots.

'The life span of the mosquito net is 3-4 years, and you can wash for 20 times before it can be changed.

'The mosquito nets already in the market are in the same class with my own. I think they are of good quality, and we want to complement them. But we also found out that the long lasting nets in the market are very expensive, so we are offering the same quality of nets but at a lower price.

'Our target audience are the grassroots people, people in the rural areas, and in the creeks. These areas need special attention and help in terms of fighting and rolling back malaria.

'We have registered our net with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and have WHOPES approval. So we have met international standards, yet we want to make it affordable to grassroot people and people in riverine areas, because they are seriously affected,' he said.

New mosquito net developed to roll back malaria at grassroots

By AZOMA CHIKWE
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Health minister, Prof Chukwu
Photo: Sun News Publishing
More Stories on This Section
As malaria remains a major health issue in Nigeria, more people and organizations are joining forces to tame the monster in the country. One of such organizations, EuroAfric Index Health and Safety Supplies Ltd, has made available long- lasting insecticide treated mosquito nets to the generality of Nigerians.

After an indepth laboratory study of deltamethrin, the World Health Organisation (WHO), approved insecticide for long-lasting insecticide mosquito nets, the organization has come out with a mosquito net, Yorkool, which is made according to WHO specifications and evaluation carried out according to WHO Pesticide Control body, WHOPES, recommendations and procedures.

Chief Executive Officer of EuroAfric Index Health and Safety Supplies Ltd, Mr. Pat Obiefule, disclosed that non-blood fed females of Anopheles gambiae, two to five day old, were used for the study. 'This strain is a standard susceptible strain, originated from Kenya, colonized for many years in our laboratory and free of any detectable insecticide resistance mechanism,' he said.

On the wash resistance of the net, Obiefule said the resistance of the Yorkool long lasting insecticide treated mosquito net to washing was determined through standard bioassays carried out on nets washed at intervals required for regeneration, using the standard WHO wash and dry and held at 30 degrees centigrade.

'To determine the time period required for regeneration of the long lasting insecticide treated nets, after standard washing and holding at 30 degrees centigrade, bioassays were carried out at constant interval of time.'

WHO requirements stipulates that nets washed 20 times that cause 80 percent mortality and/or 95 percent knockdown of mosquitomeet the criteria to undergo Phase II. WHO requirements also stipulates that nets washed 20 times that cause 80 percent mortality and/or 90 percent blood feeding inhibition meet the criteria to undergo phase II. 'The Yorkool long lasting insecticide net met all these requirements,' Obiefule said.

'The net also has met with all requirements of World Health Organization Pesticide Control body (WHOPES). WHOPES promotes and co-ordinates the testing and evaluation of pesticides for public health; collects, consolidates, evaluates and disseminates information on the use of pesticides for public health; recommends long-lasting insecticide nets based on trials. Long-lasting nets are given interim approval, based on wash resistance, for 3 years before full-recommendation based on large scale trials. 'Our net has been through that', Obiefule assured.'

WHO defines measures of effectiveness of long-lasting nets and sets minimum standard for these measures, however, WHOPES puts the final seal of approval on nets. All WHOPES approved nets are known to be effective.

'Our goal is to have all Nigerians have long-lasting insecticide treated nets. We are going to make them available and affordable,' Obiefule declared.

'I have seen people die of malaria, I have lost loved ones to malaria. As a Nigerian, I have experienced mosquito bites myself, that moved me to do something.

'I am fortunate to come in contact with partners who has gotten WHOPES approval to manufacture and distribute mosquito nets.

'With different brands of long -lasting mosquito treated nets in the market, there will be healthy competition, quality assurance and the price will also stabilize. Affordable mosquito nets is very important, especially for those at the grassroots.

'The life span of the mosquito net is 3-4 years, and you can wash for 20 times before it can be changed.

'The mosquito nets already in the market are in the same class with my own. I think they are of good quality, and we want to complement them. But we also found out that the long lasting nets in the market are very expensive, so we are offering the same quality of nets but at a lower price.

'Our target audience are the grassroots people, people in the rural areas, and in the creeks. These areas need special attention and help in terms of fighting and rolling back malaria.

'We have registered our net with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and have WHOPES approval. So we have met international standards, yet we want to make it affordable to grassroot people and people in riverine areas, because they are seriously affected,' he said.