Two Africans at Cornell University have developed a hooded bodysuit embedded at the molecular level with insecticides to ward off mosquitoes infected with malaria, a disease that kills some 655,000 people annually in Africa.
Mosquito nets are used in many African homes but these new garments can be worn throughout the day and they provide far greater protection than skin-based insect repellents.
A series of six garments were designed by Matilda Ceesay, a junior student from Gambia who is majoring in apparel design. She used fabric designed by Frederick Ochanda, a postdoctoral associate in fiber science and apparel design in the College of Human Ecology. Dr. Ochanda is from Kenya.
