On April 25, people across the world took part in a wide range of activities to mark World Malaria Day 2013. In the same day a Dutch's institute, Wageningen University, began a four-year campaign called "Solarmal Project" to install more than 4,000 solar-powered mosquito traps at homes on Rusinga Island in Lake Victoria, Kenya.
Researchers are trying to develop a new
toxin-free approach to combating malaria. They hope that this will not
only eliminate malaria locally in Africa, but also provide the local
population with solar energy. Mosquito traps containing "human odour" are placed to attract
mosquitoes away from the houses.
Once they have entered the traps, the mosquitoes will die of dehydration.
This technology has eliminated the use of insecticides which would lead to a
high level of insecticide resistance in the malaria mosquitoes, which
makes fighting the disease increasingly difficult and harmful to the
environment. The power supply for the fans in the
traps is provided by solar panels on the roof, which not only guarantees
that the traps will work but also provides the family with sustainable
electricity for lighting and mobile phone charging.
Solar panels and mosquito traps will be installed on
approximately 50 homes per week and an estimated 4,000 solar panels
overall. The impact of the project will be monitored closely as its dual
benefits of providing inhabitants with energy and potentially eradicating malaria would be groundbreaking worldwide.
