While the World Health organization (WHO) reports that malaria-related deaths were down by more than 20 percent from 2000 to 2009, there is still much work to be done.

So, we’re collaborating with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the fight against malaria, by sponsoring two current projects:

•    A study to determine the effects of spatial (not applied to skin) repellents in fighting malaria-infected mosquitoes in Sumba, Indonesia.

•    A project in rural Ghana in which bulk SC Johnson products, including Raid® insecticide and OFF!® personal repellent, are provided as part of a club membership for homemakers. In addition to the products, the club memberships include interactive social events and regular group coaching sessions on homecare best practices (including malaria prevention) and the proper use of SCJ products.

These studies build on the work SC Johnson has done in recent years to help build awareness of the dangers of malaria and to help protect against it. Here are two examples:

Healthy Children, Healthy Homes™

The Healthy Children, Healthy Homes™ program, which SC Johnson sponsored for three years, began as a collaborative effort between SC Johnson, South Africa’s National Department of Health, the Medical Research Council and RTI International. It’s a community-based malaria education program that has now reached more than a million South Africans.

The program targeted three South African provinces with endemic malaria – Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Kwazulu-Natal. Now, it is fully run by regional health departments. This is a key element of the model we helped develop: that once a program’s effectiveness is proven, it should transition to local health authorities to be sustainable for the long term.

SC Johnson helped develop materials and sponsor initial training sessions to create Malaria Educators. We also sponsored a wide range of materials and Malaria Fighter Kits that include large and easy-to-understand visuals, giveaway items such as mosquito coils and brochures, and collateral for the trainers such as shirts and bags.

Even after the Healthy Children, Healthy Homes™ program transitioned to local health authorities, we continued to play a sponsorship role. SC Johnson co-sponsored National Malaria Day for several years, sharing educational materials and handing out mosquito coil samples to thousands of people.

Proving the Power of Traps

Insect-borne diseases must be battled on many fronts. Repellents provide personal protection, mosquito bed nets offer safety while sleeping, and indoor spraying and household products such as mosquito coils add further protection. And in the village of Tafo, Ghana, SC Johnson supported an initiative that indicated mosquito traps can play a valuable role too.

Starting in 2003, SC Johnson funded a test in which portable mosquito traps were used while a local medical clinic collected data on malaria incidence. The results were impressive. While the total incidence of malaria in the unprotected areas rose, the trap test area didn't see a corresponding increase. In fact, our statistical analysis showed that from 2002 to 2007, about 6,000 malaria cases were prevented in the protected area.

SC Johnson’s support of the Tafo test included purchasing and placing the traps, sponsoring their use and maintenance, providing propane for trap fuel and, in 2004, providing a gas supply tank as a continuing source of propane for the traps and the community.

In keeping with sustainable development principles, our ultimate goal was to transition the program to the community so its impact would continue. We did so in 2007, and being a community-managed effort has led to local economic value in the form of new jobs to manage the propane supply and provide ongoing maintenance of the traps.