NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 15 – Kenya has emerged as a key manufacturing centre for a globally recognized malaria prevention solution after the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed spatial repellents as an effective tool against insect-borne diseases.
Earlier this year, SC Johnson, the U.S.-based consumer products company behind brands like OFF and Raid, opened two high-speed production lines at its Nairobi plant to manufacture Guardian spatial repellents.
At full capacity, the lines can produce 20 million units annually.
A new line at the company’s Pilar, Argentina, plant is expected to come online early next year, doubling global output.
“This important milestone comes after more than 10 years of SC Johnson efforts and more than $100 million invested in the development, testing, production and deployment of our spatial repellent products,” said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson.
“From day one, this has been a not-for-profit initiative driven by our commitment to combat diseases that threaten hundreds of millions of people. An achievement like this doesn’t happen overnight but because of the passion and dedication of thousands of SC Johnson people around the world, we’re now able to see this vision come to life. The impact we’ve made together this far is only the beginning.”
Malaria kills over 600,000 people each year.
Spatial repellents, which release an active ingredient that drives mosquitoes away, are low-cost, easy to use, and long-lasting, offering up to a year of protection per unit.
“There are over a billion people that would benefit from the SC Johnson Guardian™ and SC Johnson Mosquito Shield™ spatial repellents,” said Richard Allan, CEO of The MENTOR Initiative on bis part.
SC Johnson’s expansion in Nairobi positions Kenya as a strategic hub for delivering life-saving solutions across Africa and beyond.
