HEALTHCARE
Innovative Vector Control
Bayer takes the fight to Malaria
Bayer Southern Africa is a recognised global enterprise within the life science fields of both healthcare and agriculture, with products and services that are designed specifically to benefit and improve the quality of the lives of its customers.
Over the years the Group has succeeded in creating value through innovation, company growth and a high earning potential. Throughout all of its work Bayer remains committed to its original principles of achieving sustainable development, while following its responsibilities as a corporate citizen to remain ethical.
In the aging population that the Company operates within, there is a constant requirement of improved medical care and Bayer is answering this need with its innovative products.
The Company is successfully contributing and dedicating copious amounts of time to finding solutions to some of the major issues in healthcare at present, and with life expectancy continuing to rise, its research is focused on preventing and treating diseases.
The Bayer Group underwent a reorganisation in January, 2016 in order to shift its focus specifically to life sciences and to take on a leading position in an innovative and rapidly growing market.
At present Bayer’s operations are made up of three divisions, including Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Health and Crop Science.
Pharmaceutical developments
The Pharmaceutical department at Bayer offers the largest segment in terms of sales, and subsequently a lot of time and resources are placed into research & development in that area.
Recently Bayer has officially kickedoff a one-year trial of a new malaria fighting Indoor Residual Spray (IRS), called Fludora Fusion, in Mozambique’s Manhica District. The trial, which is being run in partnership with The Manhica Health Research Centre and Goodbye Malaria, is one of 17 trials currently taking place in other subSaharan Africa countries.
“Considering that Mozambique has a high and growing occurrence of malaria, with 4.6 million reported cases in 2017, up from 3.8 million in 2016,” says Jose de Sousa, Head of Envronmental Science for Bayer in sub Saharan Africa. “We identified Mozambique as a key country in which to run a local trial for Fludora Fusion.”
Vector control, the method of limiting or eradicating malaria carrying mosquitoes, is the mainstay of the global malaria prevention strategy and Bayer has been at the forefront of introducing new innovations in this regard. Fludora Fusion offers an advanced approach by remaining active for longer, while also enabling malaria programme managers to regulate insecticide resistance with increased coverage.
De Sousa explains further: “This latest innovation in vector control is part of Bayer’s commitment to the growing challenge of insecticide resistance in the fight against malaria and emanates from Bayer’s increased investment its research and development during the past 10 years in order to ensure a new generation of IRS with a substantial increase in efficacy.”
The Mozambique Fludora Fusion’s trial will take place in 12 purposebuilt experimental huts designed to mimic the conditions in which the product will be used. Other trials are currently taking place in South Africa; Zimbabwe; Zambia; Tanzania, Kenya; Rwanda; Benin; Ghana, Madagascar and the Ivory Coast. Preliminary results from Zambia, Tanzania and South Africa, where the trials are further advanced, are already showing promising results.
“While the malaria incidence figures are daunting, the silver lining is that malaria is preventable, provided that we keep refining our ability to control the vectors that spread it - mosquitoes. Trials like the one we are launching at present, are a key step in bringing this solution to to the market with Fludora Fusion ready to take its place in the frontline of the fight against malaria,” De Sousa concludes.