Repellent-treated chairs for protection against mosquito-borne diseases
Innovative chairs fitted with transfluthrin-treated sisal fabrics to repel mosquitoes, offering effective indoor and outdoor protection against diseases like malaria and Zika. Complementary to existing tools, these chairs aim to enhance safety and expand coverage.
Overview
The repellent-treated chairs (RTC) offer a novel solution to combat mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, Zika, dengue fever, chikungunya, and yellow fever. By using chairs fitted with sisal fabrics impregnated with transfluthrin, a long-lasting mosquito repellent, this solution provides effective protection both indoors and outdoors. These chairs can be easily adapted from existing furniture, making them an accessible option for underserved rural communities. The RTCs complement existing interventions like long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS), aiming to fill the gaps in protection for outdoor activities and indoor scenarios where traditional methods fall short.
Technical specifications
- Material: Sisal fabrics impregnated with transfluthrin
- Functionality: Emits repellent to deter mosquitoes, offering approximately 70-85% protection against outdoor-biting mosquitoes
- Deployment: Can be used both indoors and outdoors, adaptable to existing chairs through touch-proof cartridges
- Evaluation: Performance evaluated in experimental huts, measuring deterrence, biting reduction, induced mortality, and exicito-repellency
- Community integration: Plans to assess community acceptance and willingness to pay through household trials
Technology readiness level
This technology is currently at TRL 6, having demonstrated efficacy in controlled environments. Further studies will focus on quantifying transfluthrin emissions indoors and optimizing the design for free-flying mosquitoes. Community trials will also be conducted to evaluate user acceptance and practicality in everyday use.
About Ifakara Health Institute
Ifakara Health Institute is an independent, non-profit health research organization in Tanzania with a multi-site footprint and integrated lab-to-field capabilities. For corporate R&D, it offers GCP-compliant clinical trial units, laboratories and insectaries, and community surveillance platforms to support rigorous product evaluation in real-world settings. Integration with the national health system and regional partners streamlines ethics review, regulatory approvals, site activation, and cohort access. Research is backed by competitive funding from international and national agencies, including the U.S. National Institutes of Health and European programs. A dedicated collaborations and contracts office manages sponsored research, data governance, and compliance to accelerate engagements.
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