NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Solar panels are to play a key role in an innovative new project to rid a small Kenyan island of malaria, which if successful could have global implications for fighting the disease in remote regions.

The project, a brainchild of the Netherlands’ Wageningen University, will see over 4,000 solar-powered mosquito traps fitted across Rusinga island in Lake Victoria.

“Our ultimate goal is to completely eliminate malaria from Rusinga Island,” said research leader Willem Takken. “But we want to do this in an environmentally-friendly and sustainable way.”