Rain comes as a blessing in many parts of the world. Even in Brazil, a tropical country, rain (mostly) equals happiness. Yet in this damp region of the world, in favelas and other poor areas, rain comes with a burden: mosquitoes. These tiny and deadly animals are just waiting to breed in standing water accumulations. A killer by nature, the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which lives in this part of the globe, is known for its ability to transmit the deadly Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya viruses.
Habitat for Humanity Brazil—an NGO that builds, renovates, and improves houses around the country—wants to help poor people living in remote areas overcome this issue. Reaching advertising agency BETC São Paulo, the organization created a tool to combat mosquitoes and eliminate their larvae thanks to its ability to dissolve in water. Wonder what that might be? It’s actually a printed ad, suggestively titled “The Dissolving Poster”, that interacts with raindrops and releases a larvicide, killing the larvae in its path.
Pretty interesting idea to get rid of these annoying insects, isn’t it? Indeed, it is. Especially if you take into consideration that the posters don’t only eliminate mosquitoes but they also carry important educational messages.
When it’s sunny outside, the prints present a series of information, advising people on how to avoid standing water. When in contact with water, the posters’ sheets dissolve and release the substance that kills mosquitos and its larvae. According to the NGO, one poster is just enough to exterminate the Aedes Aegypti accumulated in up to 200 liters of water for at least 60 days.
The print carries a very powerful larvicide, the BTI (Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis), which was developed in partnership with one of the most prominent health science and technology institutions in South America. After it was created, the element was added to a soluble rice sheet and organic glue. A clever Dissolving Poster was born!
Within the initiative, organization’s volunteers collaborated with residents of the Heliopolis community, sticking posters around the main spots of the area. “It is very difficult to make people be aware of the issue, even when it comes to garbage, rubbish, and domestic waste. It’s all there, with that rotten water standing in the streets,” says Dona Dilza, a resident of the Heliopolis community.
The NGO draws attention that the posters are both animal- and environmental-friendly and act only against the unpleasant insects. Moreover, the posters showcase different illustrations made by Ricardo Célio, Feik and Puga Menezes – artists who come from communities affected by the problem.
“The project comes in an innovative way. It educates, prevents and kills the mosquito where people do not reach,” concludes Denis Pacheco, Habitat Program Coordinator. Maybe it could be the posters that spread around, and not the deadly diseases from now on!