Ugandan entrepreneur makes mosquito-repelling soap

October 20, 2020 Elwin Mandowa

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A Ugandan female entrepreneur has developed a soap that is meant to repel mosquitoes.

Joan Nalubega developed the organic soap as part of her contribution to fighting the spread of Malaria caused by Mosquito bites.

The entrepreneur while growing up in an orphanage struggled with malaria, something that inspired her business idea.

She told the BBC that “In 2016 I realized that the interventions that people use locally are the same interventions that had been in use for decades.”

“A lot of people have tried to do what the governments are telling them, gotten mosquito nets and sleep in them but then because they still get malaria they have given up on them,” she added.

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Malaria cases are still on the rise in rural Uganda despite government campaigns and Nalubega says the soap she developed can help in the fight.

The soap can be used every day and is available in shops and hospitals at a subsidized price for poor communities.

Last year a new study showed that a fungus which is genetically enhanced to produce spider toxin is able to kill a large number of mosquitoes that spread malaria.

Within 45 days, trials conducted in Burkina Faso, showed that mosquito populations collapsed by 99% due to the fungus.

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This finding could go a long way to help fight the spread of Malaria which Mosquitoes are responsible for.

Globally there are about 219 million cases of malaria each year and is responsible for more than 400,000 people per year.

Africa still remains an area where the disease is devastating. The researchers have revealed that they want to stop the spread of Malaria not necessarily to cause the extinction of the insect.