A project by Avient and IVCC for the formulation of long-lasting insecticidal nets for malaria control worldwide
According to the World Health Organization, more than 200 million new cases of malaria appear each year, with children under 5 years of age being the most vulnerable group affected by the disease. Avient works in conjunction with IVCC, a UK-based non-profit Product Development Association (PDP), to intensify the global fight to eradicate malaria and combat insecticide resistance in bed nets.
Avient and IVCC create a new masterbatch production laboratory in Guangzhou, China, to support research and development of new active insecticidal ingredients for long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs).
The pioneering new facility is expected to be fully operational in summer 2021 and receive current and future innovation projects. It will provide a mid-scale platform to test and develop insecticide masterbatch formulations to accelerate the process of bringing LLIN to market.
The development of these formulations is imperative to eliminate malaria, as resistance to insecticides makes the most widely used formulations, such as pyrethroids, increasingly ineffective. The new facility will also support the expansion of those formulations that show promise, this includes optimal bioefficiency and controlled migration of the insecticide to the surface of the fiber, enough to kill any mosquitoes on contact.
“The partnership with Avient is an important step in our product portfolio development work. Improving our capabilities to develop and deliver new tools to help address the growing threat of insecticide resistance is critical to achieving our mission of providing effective tools to eradicate malaria, “says Nick Hamon, Executive Director of IVCC.
Avient, a leading provider of sustainable solutions for synthetic fiber applications, enables better fiber performance and coloring for a more agile and environmentally friendly textile industry.
“Avient’s collaboration with IVCC will enable LLIN manufacturers to transform their visions into innovative products that significantly improve quality of life,” said Michael Adam, Avient’s global chief technology officer. “Working towards a solution that saves lives and improves public health aligns with Avient’s sustainability goals and commitment to our communities, both local and global,” he concluded.