New paint product to fight malaria launched
Management of INESFLY Africa Project, a manufacturing company on Monday launched its product christened ‘INESFLY Paint’- a powerful and cost effective tool to control malaria.
Dr Pilar Mateo, Inventor and Spanish Scientist, who launching the product in Accra explained that INESFLY is a coated insecticide, acaricide and growth regulator of arthropods that present its active ingredients in microencapsulated and has a low and gradual release mechanism with a long residual action.
She noted that annually, 300 to 500 million clinical episodes of malaria occurred, resulting in about one million deaths and vast majority of these fatalities involved children less than five years old in sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr Mateo said fighting malaria in sub-Saharan Africa was mainly focused on vector control through the use of insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual insecticide spraying.
She explained that the product was the first ever vaccine that had a special ingredient, IGR which had the ability to track the full life cycle of the insect from the egg to the adult stage.
Dr Mateo said the 10- million -Euro project which was established in Ghana in January would reduce the cost of malaria vaccine for buildings, create jobs and serve as the supply for the whole of Africa.
Mr Philip Gamey (JNR), Head of Corporate Affairs at INESFLY Africa said the paint had been certified by several tests carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency and Ghana Standards Authority to effectively control insects and mosquitoes.
He said the paint is a safe malaria vaccine that should not be applied on human beings but on buildings.
Mr Gamey stressed that the product is harmless to human beings.
He noted that INESFLY Africa as its first corporate social responsibility programme agreed with the management of 37 Military Hospital to paint the entire children’s ward with support from other sponsors.
He said the move was to ensure that patients who left the hospital after being treated on other ailment did not leave their wards with malaria.
Mr Austin Gamey, Labour Consultant said the product was a monumental investment in Africa since it would not only create jobs but generate revenue for government.
He noted that government spent huge money controlling the menace of malaria, therefore the product would help in the reduction of the disease.
As part of the launching, an agreement was signed between Dr Mateo and Mr Hayssan Fakhry, Managing Director of Interplast Ghana as partners to set up the business in the country.
Source: GNA