MALARIA
The CouldYou? Malaria Initiative
is scalable, low-cost and proven.
MALARIA
The CouldYou? Malaria Initiative
is scalable, low-cost and proven.
241M
241 million people suffered from malaria globally in 2020
627K
627,000 people died of malaria in 2019
96%
96% of malaria cases and deaths were in the WHO African region in 2020
77%
77% of all malaria deaths are children under the age of five
Mosquito-borne Diseases
THE PROBLEM
The impact of malaria and other mosquito-borne disease on families, communities, and economic opportunity is devastating.
Every day, people from all over the world suffer from insect-borne diseases like malaria, West Nile virus, dengue fever, zika virus, and Lyme disease.
These diseases cause can cause neurological damage, birth defects, and can be fatal.
In countries most affected by malaria, it is the leading cause of illness and death especially among young children who have not yet developed immunity.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries experienced serious disruptions to malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Mosquito-borne Diseases
THE SOLUTION
It is possible to eradicate malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases in our lifetime.
CouldYou? utilizes a multidisciplinary approach combining distribution of our MAX Repellent with a rural education and outreach component as well as an awareness campaign, #stopthebite, to open dialogue and inform.
CouldYou?’s vision is to become the benchmark in establishing a sustainable, durable, and effective approach to eradicating malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.
Underscoring this mission is our unwavering core belief that each life is valuable and worth fighting for.
CouldYou?’s Multidisciplinary Approach
1. MAX Repellent
A DEET-free, nature-based repellent which effectively protects against mosquito bites for more than 16 hours. Feels good on the skin, smells good, and is not absorbed by the skin like many other repellents, providing long-lasting protection.
MAX Repellent is made up of LivFul’s patented plant-based controlled-release technology, producing an enhanced nature-based repellent that combines gentle, natural ingredients with a patented technology that keeps bugs from biting.
Traditional repellents are absorbed into the skin or evaporated by the sun. A day or night spent outside requires frequent applications. MAX Repellent’s enhanced IR3535® nature-based repellent formula with STAYTECH™, a long-lasting repellent technology, remains on the skin to protect for more than 16 bite-free hours.
Our DEET-free formula is sweat- and rub-off-resistant, hypoallergenic and virtually scent-free. This revolutionary repellent can safely protect everyone over two-months-old. In fact, it was made with families in mind.
CouldYou? iimagine a world where people are protected from biting insects that carry disease? Our enhanced natural repellent can change the way people live, work and play. We imagine a world where we can eradicate malaria in this lifetime.
2. MAX Malaria Outreach
The rural education and outreach component addresses and combats myths, creating a stronger future free of inaccurate cultural beliefs. There are too many myths surrounding malaria that disrupt treatment and eradication.
Myths about Malaria
- Eating light soup cures malaria
- Drinking more water cures malaria
- Evil spirits cursing families cause malaria
- Drinking dirty water causes malaria
- Eating unripe mangoes cause malaria
Using education to create lasting change
MAX Educational Partnership for Malaria Prevention seeks to educate people on how to prevent malaria. In 2019, we educated almost 1000 school children on malaria prevention and positively impacted nine (9) communities.
We’re partnering with Ghana Health Services and the Uganda Ministries of Health to educate communities on the importance of using a repellent to stopping biting insects.
MAX Repellent is safe, effective, and easy-to-use every day.
3. MAX Repellent Enterprise
In just four months from start-up, MAX Repellent has created permanent income-generating activities for a small team of employees including part-time job for young people. We have five corporate sponsors as of 2019 with more expected to come on board.
Creating jobs
CouldYou? has launched the first micro-packaging facility in Kumasi Ghana to package and distribute personal insect repellents in Ghana. The solution creates jobs through the packaging, sale, and distribution of the repellents that are desperately needed in a country that’s hard-hit by malaria every year. This is a collaboration with LivFul’s Ignite LIFE (Liberating Innovation for Everyone™) distribution platform to advance market access to the best health innovations in disadvantaged communities while creating jobs.
CouldYou? recruited, trained, and supported a local social entrepreneur, Kofi Nyanteng, to help establish his own business. Nyanteng now owns and operates his own enterprise that includes a micro-packaging facility. The facility packages 2.5 ml sachets of MAX Insect Repellent formulation. Nyanteng’s facility is capable of producing 4800 sachets per day and will be able to meet the needs of three rural Ghanaian communities as well as a peri-urban community.
Before establishing the micro-packaging facility in Ghana, Nyanteng, supported by CouldYou?, worked to ensure there would be a demand for a safe, skin-friendly repellent. They piloted the repellent for 45 days working with 100 Ghanaian security guards who patrolled properties at night when mosquitoes were likely to bite. The guards, who used the repellent daily, reported a 95% reduction of mosquito bites. Those who participated in the trial did not contract malaria, compared to 73% from the previous year. The repellent won the approval of the guards.
The World Health Organization has identified Ghana as one of the countries in Africa that has seen an eight percent increase in malaria cases between 2017 and 2018. With this uphill battle against malaria and other vector-borne diseases endemic to the area, the ability to package, sell, and distribute MAX will be a game-changer.
CouldYou? is working with a network of young entrepreneurs who will provide their communities with access to MAX. We are delighted to have partnered with numerous local health and education institutions like the Ghana Education Service and the Ghana Health Service, to make this effort work.
The united nations
sustainable Development goals
CouldYou? supports the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity while protecting the planet.
They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection.
Learn about how CouldYou? Cup contributes to 11 of the UNSG goals.
Interact with the goals below to learn more.
The UN's goal is to end poverty in all its forms everywhere.
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CouldYou? increases girls’ access to basic hygiene/health needs, and reduces girls’ exposure and vulnerability to social and economic shocks.
The UN's goal is to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
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CouldYou? provides employment for marginalized women, ensuring their ability to feed themselves and their families in collaboration with Zero Hunger Ghana.
The UN's goal is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
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CouldYou? decreases reproductive health risk due to reduced usage of toilet rolls, paper, rags, and leaves for menstruation among rural/vulnerable girls.
The UN's goal is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
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CouldYou? reduces menstruation-related absenteeism among vulnerable girls and increases primary and secondary school completion rates.
The UN's goal is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
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CouldYou? supports inclusive and effective learning for all, devoid of social stigma, increasing school completion rate among targeted girls, and enhancing access to sexual and reproductive rights.
The UN's goal is to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
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CouldYou? improves menstrual health, personal hygiene, and sanitation among rural/vulnerable women/girls.
The UN's goal is to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
The UN's goal is to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
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CouldYou? increases economic participation of marginalized women, bridging the inequality gap in access to productive resources, increasing incomes of marginalized vulnerable women.
The UN's goal is to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
The UN's goal is to reduce inequality within and among countries.
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CouldYou? reduces inequalities between wealthy and poor, between boys and girls and between rural, peri-rural, and urban populations.
The UN's goal is to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
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CouldYou? supports sustainable communities, hires knowledgeable local representatives to solve community problems, and collaborates with local organizations already working on our issues.
The UN's goal is to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
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CouldYou? increases access to sustainable menstrual hygiene products, reducing waste from disposable and environmental unfriendly menstrual health products.
The UN's goal is to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
The UN's goal is to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
The UN's goal is to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
The UN's goal is to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
The UN's goal is to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
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CouldYou? partners with local, sustainable, legitimate organizations, establishing community partnerships to ensure that we have the largest and most effective impact.
Learn more about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Mosquito-borne Diseases
GET INVOLVED
DONATE NOW
More than 90% of your financial contribution goes directly to the CouldYou? Malaria Initiative to help save hundreds of thousands of children and adults from death and horrific disease every year.
Mosquito-borne Diseases
PARTNERSHIP:
LIVFUL
LivFul co-founder Hogan Bassey grew up in Nigeria, and had several bouts of malaria before age 10.
Motivated to change his situation, he created his own repellent in his bathroom from simple household products. Only later did he learn that repellents already existed – he just didn’t have access to them.
He co-founded LivFul with a vision to make repellents more accessible.
Hogan’s story attracted investors, well-wishers, and most importantly, a globally experienced leadership team who together designed a framework which makes equitable access to healthcare a possibility for everyone.
Hogan is excited about the work being done by CouldYou? in Ghana.
“When we created our insect repellent formulation, we knew people who are often exposed to malaria wanted an affordable personal repellent they could use day or night, indoors and outdoors. STAYTEC™, our patented, long-lasting technology, allows our formulation to provide 14 hours of protection.
“We’re excited to see the results of CouldYou?’s careful planning and preparation for the official launch of MAX Insect Repellent. The micro-packaging site has already received approvals from the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the country’s Environmental Protection Agency.
“We believe non-profit organizations like CouldYou? can be the key to establishing micro-businesses that offer local people access to jobs and better health. People in every part of the world deserve the opportunity to live to their fullest potential, and it’s been part of LivFul’s plan to turn those ideas into realities.”
Mosquito-borne Diseases
resources
TESTIMONIALS FROM MAX REPELLENT USERS
Amankwaah, Ghana
“I’ve been weak for some time now. I have realised that I’ve been less productive because of mosquito bites. You see, ideally, the night was meant for us to rest but it’s the other way in my case. So when I’m struggling at night and these insects bite me, I become less productive. The mosquitoes are like the devil; they take what is good from you and leave you with pain. There’s no way I can be productive when these insects suck my blood and make me feel pain.”
Isaac, Ghana
“I apply the wipes daily when I come to work. Anytime I apply the wipes, it sees me throughout my night shift with no mosquitoes and other insect bites. I personally think it works more than the 16 hours you people talked of. It works very effectively because throughout my nightshift yesterday, I didn’t even bother to find out where my jacket was. This (working without jackets) never happened before you brought the wipes. A night shift without jackets meant doom. I don’t even wrap my head with clothes when I come to work.”
Isaac, Ghana
“I’m personally willing to give an account of this product anywhere. You know what, as the supervisor here, I have observed that night guards who couldn’t stay glued to their seats because of severe mosquito bites and the buzzing of these mosquitoes in their ears are now able to stay longer at their positions.”
Dere, Ghana
“For the past few days I started using this product, insects don’t bite me – I sometimes feel they are scared to even come near my body.”
John, Ghana
“You know, I have realized that when you apply the wipes, these insects hardly come near your skin, and when they do, they are not able to bite you. I can now stay at my assigned post-sitting down in the open where these mosquitoes used to bite me frequently. I can confidently say that this product is good, and it works effectively. Ever since I started using the wipes, mosquitoes hardly bite me.”
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