MARCH
2022
THIS ISSUE
Somalia Field Tests
Could Repeltec coating be poised to replace Permethrin in WHO supported programs?
New Markets
Keep up with availability of AFFIX Labs products.
German City upgrades
to Si-Quat
Görlitz roll out of Si-Quat in their public transport sector.
Repeltec undergoes WHO approved field trials with the Somalian government malaria program.
Non-profit organizations and governments have looked towards residual indoor spraying as one of the tools to fight mosquito carried diseases like Malaria, Dengue, and Chikungunya. The approach leaves a thin layer of pesticides on walls inside residential spaces, however traditional residual indoor sprays are classified as hazardous. Repeltec aims to be the safest indoor residual spray on the market to repel insects.
Our Repeltec coating creates a clear layer that adheres to a surface and utilizes a controlled release of a spatial repellent that drives insects away from a treated space. In addition, the coating temporarily interferes with the ability of insects to detect and bite people, breaking the infection cycle. The active ingredient used by AFFIX Labs is commonly found in skin lotions and has the lowest toxicity ratings as classified by the World Health Organization (WHO). Once released, the active ingredient is biodegradable, minimizing a long-term risk to the local environment. The environmentally conscious solution drives insects away from treated spaces without killing them, meaning it avoids adversely effecting ecosystems including bee colonies.
After lab studies in Germany, France, and South Africa, Repeltec is currently undergoing field trials executed by Somalian government malaria program, combating the disease without damaging the environment.
Field trials for this potentially game changing coating, designed and supported by the WHO and the Somalian governments malaria program, are now underway to prove the efficacy of Repeltec in real world settings. 20 locations have been treated and are being actively monitored for mosquito count, species detected, feeding behavior. The goal of these trials is to show that Repeltec can replace traditional solutions.
"We are seeing promising results and receiving great community feedback. Where people have been reluctant to allow pesticides to be sprayed in their houses, a friendlier solution like Repeltec is the future of a sustainable fight against Malaria." States Dr.Abdikarim Husein Hassan, head of the Somalian Malaria program in Puntland.
According to the WHO: “Somalia has a high-burden of malaria, and between 2000 and 2019, an estimated 759 000 cases and 1942 deaths from malaria have occurred. Various control efforts undertaken by the Government with the support of WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and funded by the Global Fund have resulted in the reduction of incidence from 2.6 cases per 1000 population in 2014 to 1.8 per 1000 population in 2020, showing a 25% reduction.” These results show the effectiveness of the malaria program itself.
After successful trials AFFIX Labs is ready to roll out Repeltec coatings for non-profit organizations and commercial partners in Somalia and other regions replacing toxic residual spraying programs with the friendlier Repeltec solution.
New Markets
Germany & United Kingdom – Alongside Si-Quat and Clean N Coat, Repeltec has now been registered in both countries.
Somalia – Repeltec is in active use by the Somalian governments malaria program to control the spread of the disease via insects.
East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania) – Based on successful tests in Somalia, registrations have already progressed across East Africa.
South Africa – Alongside continuing testing, Repeltec is beginning roll out across South Africa and neighbouring countries.
South East Asia – Multiple registrations are underway in preparation for a regionwide launch of AFFIX products in South East Asia.
German City Protects Itself from Future Pandemics with Self-Sanitising Surfaces
Franz Kiel GmbH, already using Si-Quat in public transport seats, has launched a project in the German city of Görlitz, to treat all of the cities public busses and trains at the end of 2021 and is running for 6 months to bolster the German cities efforts to protect it’s population from contagious diseases.
This exciting project, under the already well established “Kiel Protect” program, shows the potential for pro-active local governments to take actions to protect passengers using vital local transportation infrastructure, and help minimise the impact from future outbreaks of highly contagious diseases such as Covid-19, common colds, and other diseases that have the potential to spread via high-contact touch points across transportation networks.
“At the moment, passenger recovery is the focus of our efforts. We want to give our passengers the feeling that even in the cold season, local public transport is not a place from which there is an increased risk of infection, ”says Sven Sellig, Managing Director of GVB (Görlitz Transport Services). "All over Germany, transportation companies are faced with the same problem of regaining the passengers' trust that has been lost in the pandemic," adds Hans-Jürgen Pfeiffer, Managing Director of ZVON (a regional transport association) "reliable and long-lasting surface disinfection plays a significant key role in passenger recovery".
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