Treated baby wraps may reduce malaria risk in refugee infants
· News-MedicalMalaria remains a threat to young children in refugee settlements, where displacement, temporary housing, and limited access to healthcare reduce the effectiveness of conventional prevention tools. There are an estimated 35 million refugees in Africa alone with women and children comprising more than 80% of those displaced. New arrivals lack permanent shelter, and therefore cannot reliably use bed nets-leaving infants and young children vulnerable to mosquito bites.
Dr. Ross Boyce, associate professor of medicine and epidemiologyAs global funding of humanitarian emergencies declines, newly arrived refugees are increasingly left to build their own shelters. If you don't have a bed, let alone a roof over your head, it's difficult to hang a bed net. By building protection into something mothers already use every day, we can reach infants at the moments and places they're most exposed."
Embedding insect repellent into an item that families already use daily means the intervention requires no behavioral change, minimal infrastructure, and is well suited to resource-constrained, high-risk environments. Boyce is also hopeful that the repellency effect of the treated wrap might provide some protection to other members of the family, especially if they sleep close together.
Study overview
To assess feasibility and effectiveness in humanitarian contexts, researchers will launch a Phase III, double-blind, randomized controlled trial in the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in western Uganda. The settlement is home to roughly 150,000 refugees, primarily women and children displaced by conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Children will be followed for six months, a period when families are most likely to lack stable housing and consistent mosquito protection. Outcomes will include malaria incidence, hospitalizations, safety, adherence, and user acceptability to evaluate both effectiveness and real-world applicability.
Locally led partnerships
Clinical activities will be conducted in collaboration with local health facilities operated by Medical Teams International in partnership with the Uganda Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) , ensuring alignment with existing care systems and supporting sustainability beyond the study period. Funding provided by the Thrasher Research Fund supports innovative, child-focused global health solutions.
Source:
Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases
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