Zoom imagePeople spreading mosquito nets in Ethiopia.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an interim recommendation for Bayer CropScience’s new LifeNet™ mosquito nets for malaria prevention and control. This is an important milestone on the road to the global product launch, which is scheduled to take place before the end of 2011.
LifeNet™ is the first innovation in this field for more than a decade. Deltamethrin, the active ingredient recommended by the WHO, has been directly integrated into a polypropylene fiber for the first time. From there it is gradually released, continuously exerting its insecticidal action. Because the polypropylene fibers are flexible but also have very good tear resistance, the mosquito nets are longer-lasting, user-friendly and ensure long-term protection.
“The interim recommendation from the Pesticide Evaluation Scheme of the WHO (WHOPES) now enables us to offer national and international malaria control programs a new mosquito net in the battle against malaria,” explained Dr. Gunnar Riemann, Head of Environmental Science at Bayer CropScience. “We are convinced that LifeNet™ will contribute significantly to the control of this tropical disease around the world.”
Bayer CropScience has more than 50 years of experience in the field of vector control. The upcoming market launch of LifeNet™ means the company will now offer a complete portfolio for integrated vector management.