Deborah Tan Mosquito Initiative Junior Product Design Studio Course Project Theme: Tsunami Disaster

1. Deborah Tan The Mosquito Initiative: Project for the Reduction of Mosquito-Borne Disease in Tsunami-Stricken Countries

2. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan The mass flooding of the S.E. Asia Tsunami has led to large expanses of water-logged areas. The disaster rubble and stagnant pools are prime mosquito breeding sites. Coupled with the imminent monsoon season, Tsunami-afflicted areas are endemic for Dengue/Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) and Malaria, mosquito- borne diseases that kill 1-3 million people each year. Although International aid agencies have provided emergency control measures, these consist of chemical methods that are operationally demanding, and afford only a transient killing effect. While the population of mosquitoes may be controlled for that moment, opportunities to re-populate are abundant. Therefore a product or system is essential for long-term maintenance and prevention on a communal basis. It should emphasize the nature of the problem, and its severity if left unaddressed. This product must integrate within daily community life, and also incorporate suitable technology for rural S.E. Asian communities, the areas most susceptible to mosquito-borne epidemics. PROBLEM STATEMENT:

6. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan 1. Virus transmitted to human in mosquito saliva 2. Virus replicates in target organs 3. Virus infects white blood cells and lymphatic tissues 4. Virus released and circulates in blood RESEARCH: Transmission of DHF and Malaria:

7. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan 5. Second mosquito ingests virus with blood 6. Virus replicates in mosquito midgut and other organs, infects salivary glands 7. Virus replicates in salivary glands RESEARCH: Transmission of DHF and Malaria:

16. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan A sustainable and completely natural way of Repelling mosquitoes. Portable and organic protection for those who cannot afford insect-repellent, which contains DEET. CONCEPT SKETCHES: Garlic Products:

17. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan Current insect screens only help keep mosquitoes out. Traps would be more effective in longevity reduction. CONCEPT SKETCHES: Screens:

18. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan CONCEPT SKETCHES: Drainage Pumps:

19. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan CONCEPT SKETCHES: Larvicide Distribution:

20. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan A toy that children will enjoy playing with, but can also be used To educate them to help with density reduction of mosquitoes. CONCEPT SKETCHES: Toy Pumps:

21. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan NON-FOR-PROFIT: About WHO (World Health Organization): The World Health Organization is the United Nations specialized agency for health. It was established on 7 April 1948. WHO's objective, as set out in its Constitution, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health is defined in WHO's Constitution as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. WHO is governed by 192 Member States through the World Health Assembly. The Health Assembly is composed of representatives from WHO's Member States. The main tasks of the World Health Assembly are to approve the WHO programme and the budget for the following biennium and to decide major policy questions.

22. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan NON-FOR-PROFIT: Letter from WHO: Dear Ms. Tan, R egarding your inquiry from 22 February 2005, in cases of natural disasters in foreign countries the national government (usually a Ministry of Health, MOH) determines the types of interventions to be used to prevent build-up of mosquito vector densities. W HO local (country) offices may be asked by a MOH to advise on the issue. S ource reduction (e.g. small-scale drain and fill, destruction/removal of small breeding sites) is an appropriate community-based strategy for larval vector control in the case of mosquito vectors of malaria and dengue, however for dengue vectors it may be more difficult to implement successfully due to the potential wide variety of breeding sites that Aedes aegypti may utilize. C ommunity capacity must exist in order to effectively carry out local environmental management measures after a natural disaster; it may take some time before a community is ready (and has the resources/equipment to do this and has prioritized vector control). Furthermore, health education and community consultation are necessary for any successful community-based vector control effort. C hemical control by government authorities is, in principle, a last resort for prevention and control but individual MOHs may use aerial or space spraying for vector density reduction. B est regards, Steven Ault Steven K. Ault Regional Advisor in Communicable Diseases (Parasitic Diseases) Communicable Diseases Unit (CD), Room 714 Area of Disease Prevention and Control (DPC) Regional Office of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) 525 23 rd Street, NW Washington DC 20037 ,USA Tel. + (202) 974-3896 Fax + (202) 974-3656 and 974-3331 E-mail: [email_address]

23. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan Mosquito Hunt is a constructive game targeted at educating the community, especially its youth, on the severity of mosquito-borne diseases, and the importance of a unified effort in source reduction. The game will be implemented at schools/shelters, involving a team of children (supervised and adequately protected). Each team would be assigned an area of the village, and their task would be to locate prime mosquito breeding sites, mark them on a map, and identify the area with markers. Marked sections can then be drained with a manually-operated water pump, and, if possible, filled. This game would be a regular feature in their routine, and hopefully become a conscious effort at density reduction within the community. CONCEPT EXPLORATION: Mosquito Hunt: Description:

25. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan Teacher or aid worker explains the need for density reduction, and the ‘rules’ of Mosquito Hunt. The children are shown images and live samples of mosquito larvae. Children are protected with repellent, or with insecticide-treated clothing, split up into teams and source out prime mosquito breeding sites. These are then marked with flags. Once identified, regular drainage of breeding sites can occur. CONCEPT EXPLORATION: Mosquito Hunt: Scenario

26. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan Hand-held drainage devices using simple syringe mechanism. Flat-ended nozzle for targeting surfaces of pools. CONCEPT EXPLORATION: Mosquito Hunt: Drainage Devices:

27. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan Drainage product is placed in water and it is manually absorbed into an airtight chamber. The product is carried to dry, level ground and the water containing larvae is dispersed. Flag/marker CONCEPT EXPLORATION: Mosquito Hunt: Drainage Device User Scenario:

28. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan Hunting backpack with flags, foot-pump with water canon, and a map of village. CONCEPT EXPLORATION: Mosquito Hunt: Hunting Pack:

29. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan Larval nets. Can be dragged along the surface of water, where larvae develop, and they are caught in the netting. CONCEPT EXPLORATION: Mosquito Hunt: Larva Nets:

30. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan FINAL CONCEPT: The Mosquito Initiative: Introduction: One of the largest problems in the SE Asian rural communities is the lack of awareness and understanding - the people may understand that mosquitoes are dangerous, but not necessarily know what to do with them save repulsion methods (netting, coils, etc.). Hence a correct protocol needs to be established.

31. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan The Mosquito Initiative: targeting public awareness of vector-borne disease and the encouragement of a communal-based effort in density reduction and regular supervision as means of reducing Dengue Fever and Malaria. Target market would consist mainly of children (ages 4-11) in a supervised setting – schools, homes, shelters and orphanages. The initiative would aim to empower children to be proactive in a situation where they are the largest victims. Educating the children at a young age would also ensure the continuance of the Initiative over their generation, and this knowledge would have a higher chance of being passed on. FINAL CONCEPT: The Mosquito Initiative: Target market:

33. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan A portable kit that consists of : 1. A water-sampling device for small-scale draining. 2. A graphic chart that identifies the most common breeding sites around residential areas, as well as an explanation of the basic concepts of density reduction. 3. A larvicide for larger areas of water. 4. A hand-held larva net. Products which, through their use, convey the fundamental elements of density reduction. The Initiative should be seen as an intermediary action until the community has the means, and basic knowledge to tackle the problem on their own terms. FINAL CONCEPT: The Mosquito Initiative: Products:

34. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan FINAL CONCEPT: The Mosquito Initiative: Products: Larva net - for manual larva/pupa removal Drainage pump - for drainage of small breeding sites Bottle of Bti (organic larvicide) - for large-scale larva/pupa removal Waterproof chart - describes common mosquito breeding sites, and principles of environmental management

36. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan FINAL CONCEPT: The Mosquito Initiative: Usage: The drainage device is held over a pool of stagnant water. Plunger is pulled back and water rushes in to the cylinder. The water is then taken to level ground and dispersed. The larva net skims the surface of the stagnant water, and larvae get caught in the mesh. The net may be cleaned in salt water or running water, conditions which larvae cannot tolerate. Larvicide (Bti – a bacterial toxin that is non-toxic to humans or animals) is dispersed regularly in paddy fields, ponds, or any large areas of still water.

37. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan FINAL CONCEPT: The Mosquito Initiative: Location: homes paddy field wells, water tanks, ponds buckets, tires, metal drums, etc. Schematic of potential mosquito breeding sites in a typical village

38. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan FINAL CONCEPT: The Mosquito Initiative: Mosquito Breeding: AIR WATER This diagram explains the mosquito life cycle and the breeding that occurs in the aforementioned sites.

39. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan FINAL CONCEPT: The Mosquito Initiative: Remedies: home paddy field wells, water tanks, ponds buckets, tires, metal drums, etc. Insecticide-treated bed nets and screens larvicide Filling, larvicide, larva net Filling, draining

40. The Mosquito Initiative: Project for Tsunami Relief Deborah Tan FINAL CONCEPT: The Mosquito Initiative: Conclusion: The threat of mosquito-borne disease is not location-specific to tsunami-stricken countries. Worldwide, 2.5 billion people are at risk, especially those in tropical countries where the public health infrastructure is underdeveloped (mainly Africa, South America, and South East Asia). The Mosquito Initiative is a non-invasive solution that prioritizes public health education and environmental management, aiming to relieve dependence on governmental or financial aid when epidemics occur. Rather, with increased awareness of the problem, those most at risk can take the problem into their own hands, working to reduce the threat. Moreover, with increased knowledge and understanding, people will take better precautions when exposing themselves to the threat (i.e. personal protection). Once these practices have been established, there is no doubt that dengue and malaria cases will diminish.