Malaria plagues millions of people living in tropical regions worldwide. This mosquito-transmitted endemic is particularly dangerous for children below the age of five. Today, over 400,000 people still die yearly from this fatal disease.
The global fight against malaria is not something that can be handled alone, but we are aggressively channelling efforts toward eradicating the disease. With Olyset™ Net, a mosquito net developed by Sumitomo Chemical Group to protect the people at risk, we seek to empower affected countries in their own fights.
About Olyset™ Net
An insecticide called pyrethroid is incorporated into polyethylene fibers, and controlled release technology gradually brings the insecticide to the surface of the fibers. This was technology that originally was used in factory window screens to repel insects, but Sumitomo Chemical thought it may be useful for people suffering from malaria. As a result of sustained R&D efforts, the Olyset™ Net insecticide-treated mosquito net was developed. Olyset™ Net is the first net endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2001 as a long-lasting insecticidal net. Through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other international organizations, the net is now supplied to over 80 countries.
Impact:
- Nearly 800 million people protected worldwide
- 30 million units Olyset™ Nets produced in East Africa in 2010
- As of 2010, production of Olyset™ Nets in East Africa had created 8,000 jobs