Want To Help Change The World?: Let's Help Prevent Malaria in Nigeria With Operation Mosquito
This is the Official Announcement of #OperationMosquito
Before we get into the goal of Operation Mosquito, let's briefly discuss Malaria and the serious effects it has. Many of you may know what it is, others may not.
According to the Center for Disease Control:
Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito which feeds on humans. People who get malaria are typically very sick with high fevers, shaking chills, and flu-like illness.
The Nigeria Malaria Fact Sheet identifies Malaria as the "2nd leading cause of death from infectious diseases in Africa". However, it is the leading cause of death from infectious diseases in Nigeria. There are over 300,000 deaths per year in Nigeria from Malaria and over 97% of the population is at risk of contracting the disease.
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What is Operation Mosquito?
Operation Mosquito will initially attempt to minimize the repeated contraction of Malaria by @ogoowinner in Nigeria. This will be accomplished by sending a package(s) with different items(plantable herbs, screens, insecticide, etc) to help repel and detour mosquitoes. Additionally, herbs will be sent to alleviate the symptoms of Malaria should it be caught and an herbal remedy known to cure Malaria.
The end goal is to test which items work and to periodically send packages of the items known to work. Eventually, @ogoowinner will be able to distribute these items to her fellow Nigerians and even teach them how to use them(specifically in regard to the herbal remedies and to grow the herbal plants). She will also be able to share about Steemit with her fellow countrypersons thus increasing the visibility of Steemit and helping her nation in a monetary way at the same time!
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From my end, there will be story posts of the herbal mixtures and how often they should be given during the actual stages of Malaria to alleviate the symptoms and posts on how the herbs can be taken to increase a person's immunity to prevent Malaria.
With the help of some green thumbed Steemians(volunteers anyone?), we can help @ogoowinner figure out how to grow plantable herbs from seed; should she need it.
There will also be a physical binder created with the herbal information. Additional pages of information will periodically be sent to update her binder so she can have the information to refer to in one location.
How Can You Help?
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This is where the power of Steemit will show its true potential!
- Through your upvotes, resteems, and donations; we hope to raise funds to get this project off to a running start. Liquid payouts from posts using the #OperationMosquito Tag will be used to fund this project. Also, $200 of my personal funds will be used to help kickstart this project.
- Your expertise in gardening can also be utilized, should it be needed.
- In the future, trusted Steemians from landlocked countries would be helpful to send items to help reduce shipping costs.
Eventually, it would be great for other Nigerians to volunteer to be a hub for distribution of items and instruction on proper use of the items distributed.
The Nigerians who volunteer will receive an initial package to increase their likelihood of not contracting Malaria because we need them healthy in order to aid their fellow country-persons in Malaria prevention and to share about Steemit!
Can you envision how HUGE this can become? Not only will be sharing about Steemit but more importantly, we will be doing our part to change the world!
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You Thought This Post Was Over?
If you've made it far...Thank you. This is a project that has been thought out for quite a while and a lot of research has already been put into it. We have managed to overcome some logistical challenges to help reduce costs for items being sent by utilizing a Nigerian e-commerce site with a United States based Bank Card. A test package is currently in the process of transit!
There will still be items that need to be sent from the United States but eventually, it would be very helpful(as I mentioned above) for other Steemians to be able to send items not available on Jumia.com.ng( and eventually Shopnow.ng).
The rest of this post will be utilized to show the items that are planned on being sent and the shipping costs associated, to give you an idea of the costs associated with the project. Most of the items that do not have shipping charges annotated will be shipped by Jumia. While there are still shipping costs, most will be combined shipping and will receive a shipping discount.
Factory Produced Items
- Burgess 1443 Propane Insect Fogger $59
- Black Flag 190255 Fogging Insecticide to Control Mosquitoes and Biting Flies Outdoors, 32-Ounce X 2, $19.74
These two items receive a discount on shipping when combined. The shipping, import fee deposit, and item costs total $163.64. The propane cannot be shipped internationally. It will have to be acquired on the ground. This is the largest expense item and I have the funds to personally pay for these items if I need to.
- Universal Magnet Insecticidal Mosquito Net, $2.54 USD. This item is recommended by the World Health Organization.
- Generic 2-in-1 Zapper And Lantern Light Switch LED Solar Powered Garden Path Light With Electronic Mosquito Zapper Function, $10.99 USD. This is a test product. Want to see how long it lasts and if the solar powered zapper is worth the price.
- CUTTER Cutter Citronella Candle 30 Hours - Bucket (Red), $13.35 USD
- Generic 100 X 210CM Magnetic Door Anti-mosquito Screen Magnet Mesh Net Curtain - Black, $11.79 USD
- Magideal 2x Black Insect Mosquito Fly Bug Window Mesh Net Netting W/ Sticky Tape, $7.63 USD
- Universal 3M Respirator, 18.44
Subtotal for this section(some items without shipping): $ 228.38 USD
Essential Oils
These oils have been shown to repel mosquitoes when applied directly on the skin from studies published in the Malaria Journal. Some as high as 100% repel rate! Multiple oils will be sent to test and ultimately settle on one type.
- HEMANI Citronella Oil(up to 100% protection rate), $3.59 USD
- JULES Thyme Essential Oil(up to 97% protection rate), $9.38 USD
- HEMANI Sage Oil( up to 95% protection rate), $4.77
Subtotal of oils(without shipping) $17.74 USD
Seeds for planting to repel mosquitoes.
There were two studies (1,2) used to research which seeds to send to grow into plants/herbs that repel mosquitoes. There are varying repel rates depending on if the plants are touched, heated, or even burned. There will be a story post that goes deeper into this. All seeds have been researched to ensure they are not invasive to Nigeria.
- Holy Basil Seeds, $5.69 USD(Must be sent from USA).
- Catnip Seeds, $6.99 USD (Must be sent from USA).
- African Blue Basil Seeds, $5.25 USD (Must be sent from USA).
- Lemongrass Seeds, $1.96 USD (Must be sent from USA).
- Thyme Seeds, $4.59 USD (Must be sent from USA).
Subtotal of seeds(without shipping) $24.48 USD
Herbs to help with Malaria symptoms or increase immunity to Malaria
This section will require story posts for the required recipes. However, these are the main ingredients for each. Research used:1,2,3,4
- Holy Basil (included above) Protects damaged blood cells and has antibacterial properties to alleviate Malaria symptoms(to include fever). Can also be taken regularly to prevent Malaria.
- Cinnamon(test package in transit).Help alleviate symptoms of Malaria like loss of appetite, nausea, indigestion, cramps, and spasms.
- Swanson Ginger Root, $10.27. Helps to speed up recovery and increases immune system.
- Organic, Raw Honey, 23.63. Used in many of the recipes and may even increase the likelihood of success when dealing with drug resistant Malaria.
- Bitter Aloe seeds. $ 6.95. Must be grown into a plant and a match-sized amount taken regularly to prevent Malaria.
Subtotal of Prevention and Symptom Treatment $40.85
Malaria Cure
The Nigerian government banned chloroquine and artemisinin monotherapy and instead wants chloroquine or artemisinin based combination therapy. This made me concerned about the Qinghao(Wormwood) Chinese Herb that I had been researching because the main chemical component is Artemisinin.
After hours of research(it's the reason this post is a day late) the product listed below contains a combination ingredient(Lumafetrine) as recommended by the Malaria Consortium. The Nigerian National Agency for Food and Drug Control product registration number can be found here.
- Kedi Healthcare Qinghao Capsule, $8.90.
We must be responsible when using this medicine as we don't want to go around treating unconfirmed Malaria cases.
Subtotal for Malaria Cure $8.90(without shipping).
Grand Total All Categories: $320.35
Many of the products have negligible shipping charges when shipped from inside Nigeria. The most expensive shipping(not listed) will be the seeds from the United States.
Conclusion
This initial amount may seem relatively high. Please remember many of these products are to be tested. For example, there are multiple oils being tested to see what works. Eventually, this will be brought down to one oil in the "starter package" for new Steemians who join the cause after we get through this "research phase". Additionally, there has to a better way to send insecticide and quite possibly a more manual device to release the insecticide fog. The research for fumigation products will continue in order to find a way to reduce costs for this item. Also, many of the seed items contain plenty of seeds. This will allow for sharing of the seeds with other Nigerians so these plants can be grown in and around their homes to repel mosquitoes.
It is my estimate that we can get the starter package down to a cost of around $200.(maybe even more).
Remember this is a unique way to help the world and to spread the message of Steemit, which will help increase the monetary livelihood of Nigerians. A story posted by @ogoowinner explained the hesitancy of being paid in crypto currency because of scams in their country. By helping with Malaria prevention, we can also increase the trust of using Steemit in Nigeria.
So, I must ask...Who wants to help change the world?
It is very important to note, I am not a doctor nor trying to give medical advice. The information given is from various research sources. It is adviced you consult a doctor before trying any of the researched information given throughout Operation Mosquito
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If you like what we're doing please upvote this comment so we can continue to build the community account that's supporting all members.
Awesome initiative! 100% UV and will RS in a few days for more visibility. (Feel free to remind me, if it slips my mind...)
One more product that is effective is Cedarcide. It's aunt-deb tested in the woods in Upper Michigan and works well on many insects. I'm not sure how this would fit in with what you already have set up, but it may be another tool in the kit.
Oh, and a few other pluses -> it's non-toxic, smells good, and isn't overly pricey.
Hope this helps!
Thank you for that @aunt-deb. I went and looked it up. The indoor spray would be very helpful. Would love to be able to find an insecticide fog that is non-toxic. It could have been on there and I missed it. Will make sure to look again to confirm.
They used to have something for larger areas, but I don't see it currently. I'll bet if you e-mail the company and explain the mission, they'd have suggestions. Worse case is they don't, but the product is still effective on the smaller scale. Worth a try...
Yes, I agree with you in regard to the smaller scale. I especially like how it can be used indoors. I will shoot them an email about larger scale. I know I will have to be something that doesn't require too much water mixing as it can be limited at times. This is a great idea and one i would not have known existed if not for you.
I sure hope they have some good options and will be curious to see what they say. You're doing some heavy lifting on this project. I just wanted you know all the options available. Glad to hear it might be helpful!
I will be sure to let you know what they tell me.
Hopefully, it's not too heavy
I am Going to work really hard to get this project in motion.
Will resteem as well staggered as well in 4 days' time..give me a nudge if I forget, Lex!
Man @lexikon082! This is the guy to watch! Because he is a driving force for goodness and positive effect way beyond the borders of his own nation and continent!!
The longer I know you, the more impressed I get that you get so much done in 24 hours..You have to be half robot at least at researching, please say that's your secret!! ;))
I wish I was half robot. I'm always doing something productive or multitasking since I quit drinking. The only way I watch TV these days(unless it's America's Got Talent Night with the fam) is to have it as a window on tip minimized in the corner. If I'm writing a Steemit Blog, there is crypto news on in the background. About the only time I don't multitask is when we are doing school work...but then a lot of school is incorporated with different tasks, so we are killing two birds with one stone there...you might consider it multi-tasking.
It also helps that my wife usually cooks and even prepares crockpot meals for us most days if she has to work late. Leftovers for lunch are a godsend.
This specific research project involved a lot of late nights and early mornings. Idle hands breed idle minds.
And they said men couldn't multi-task!!! =PP
Good on you Lex! Your 'keep busy' approach is really instrumental in the success of your sobriety journey so far..and no wonder, because it is rooted in Biblical philosophy..
Always making change and trying to help people man. We loves ya buddy.
Really didn't expect you to blast that on your twitter feed. Thank you for doing that.
It's been weighing on my heart to help out more and more and the visions for change are becoming grander in scale. I just keep praying to God that he gives me the strength to accomplish what needs to be done and the resources to do it. It's all in his hands.
There's only so much I CAN do --- but I try and do it.
You have proven yourself to be a great human being and you make it easy to want to help you man.
#BroHugs
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i want to help my friend in Nigeria @lexikon082
It's getting late now @jodiamungkas. But I would love to have your help on this project. Maybe I can hit you up on discord or steemit.chat tomorrow and we can brainstorm some ideas.
can u invite me in discord @lexikon082
Thank you for your information @lexikon082
You are very welcome. I hope you can put it to good use.
I threw in some mosquito eating fish in my pond a couple days ago. This has been a bad season for these pests!
Do you notice any type of difference?
Honestly no.
But there has definitely been more mosquitos this year.
I completely understand your statement. It could be helping, but there are more mosquitos than usual, so it's hard to compare.