September 26, 2007 4:00 AM PDT
Each year, 1 million people die of malaria, which spreads through bites from parasite-infected mosquitoes. The World Health Organization recommends that anyone in zones where malaria is common--which includes 40 percent of the world's population--should sleep under insecticide-treated nets.
The PermaNet is soaked in a pyrethroid insecticide chemical deemed harmless for humans and less environmentally harmful than DDT. The netting retails for around $5 in Kenya and Ghana. Manufacturer Vestergaard Frandsen also makes mosquito-proof fabrics used in building shelters during emergencies, in addition to the LifeStraw.
Photo by Vestergaard Frandsen
