NAIROBI, Kenya— Kenya has scored a major win in the global fight against malaria after the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed spatial repellents as an effective tool for preventing mosquito-borne diseases.
The approval means the country is now a manufacturing hub for a globally recognized, game-changing malaria prevention product.
Earlier this year, SC Johnson installed two high-speed production lines at its Nairobi plant to produce the Guardian spatial repellent.
The facility can make up to 20 million units annually. Another manufacturing line is set to open in Pilar, Argentina, early next year, doubling global production.
Malaria claims more than 600,000 lives each year, and WHO says spatial repellents devices that release active ingredients to drive mosquitoes away from rooms could help reduce transmission rates, especially in underserved areas.
SC Johnson’s Guardian and Mosquito Shield products have undergone over a decade of development and testing in Indonesia, Peru, and Kenya.
WHO has also granted them prequalification, allowing governments and health agencies to procure them through international supply chains.
“This important milestone comes after more than 10 years of SC Johnson efforts and more than $100 million invested in the development, testing, production and deployment of our spatial repellent products,” said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson.
“From day one, this has been a not-for-profit initiative driven by our commitment to combat diseases that threaten hundreds of millions of people. An achievement like this doesn’t happen overnight but because of the passion and dedication of thousands of SC Johnson people around the world, we’re now able to see this vision come to life. The impact we’ve made together this far is only the beginning.”
Clinical trials show spatial repellents can cut disease risk by up to 33 percent, with Guardian offering protection for up to a year.
“There are over a billion people that would benefit from the SC Johnson Guardian and SC Johnson Mosquito Shield spatial repellents,” said Richard Allan, CEO of The MENTOR Initiative.
“Frankly, these are the first tools I’ve seen in 36 years that have the promise of doing that. These could be a real gamechanger.”
