KUALA LUMPUR – A new and simple innovation by Grey Group Malaysia turns any umbrella into an active warrior against Dengue. The RainSprout fixes on top of an umbrella and uses rainfall to distribute larvicide into the very puddles where mosquitos can breed.
RainSprouts were distributed for free this April into areas across central Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya) where a dengue outbreak had recently occurred. Championed by Grey, the RainSprout project will be listed on the new webe community platform in June for it to be unlocked by the community for even greater mass distribution.
A Grey client, Telekom Malaysia’s new digital mobility service provider, webe, launched their webe community platform www.webe.com.my in April. The platform hosts a variety of projects for the Malaysian community that the public can vote to make happen in the community.
Says webe CMO, Lai Shu Wei, “The webe community already has a number of projects online waiting to be unlocked by the public. All of them demonstrate that when we think about things differently and work together, we can really make things happen.”
The RainSprout works via a replaceable patch at the base which is impregnated with a non-toxic larvicide. When rain hits the patch, it mixes with the larvicide and runs off the umbrella into the puddles. Harmless to all other living organisms, the larvicide starves the mosquito larvae before they can develop.
Dengue fever is an escalating problem in Malaysia, with over 3,500 people being infected in just one week in January. Says Prof. Sazaly Abu Bakar, Director Infectious Tropical Diseases, University Malaya; “The problem with dengue is that we’ve learnt to live with it. The numbers rise each year, we have larvicides, but people just don’t use them.
For a solution to really work it has to fit within what people already do as part of their lives.”
Graham Drew, ECD Grey Malaysia, said, “The best thing about the RainSprout is you don’t have to do anything. Once you’ve fixed the sprout to your umbrella you just use it as normal. You are keeping dry from the rain, whilst helping keep your community safe.”
