It remains the best protection tool at night. But between sunset and bedtime, your children are often exposed.
Every evening, in millions of African households, the same scene repeats. The sun sets, the children are still playing in the yard, dinner is being prepared, neighbors are chatting. The mosquito net, meanwhile, waits in the bedroom. It is precisely at this moment that malaria mosquitoes begin to bite.
Malaria remains a major threat
In 2024, malaria caused 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Africa accounts for 95% of these deaths, and three-quarters of the African victims are children under 5 years old. After years of progress, the numbers are rising again.
The mosquito net: essential, but not sufficient
The insecticide-treated mosquito net remains the most important prevention tool. It has saved millions of lives. But it has two limitations:
- It only protects once lying down. However, in many families, children do not go to bed before 9 PM or 10 PM.
- Not everyone uses it. Today, only about half of the people exposed to malaria sleep under a mosquito net.
Mosquitoes are changing their habits
Researchers are observing a worrying phenomenon: in several regions of Africa, anopheles, the mosquitoes that transmit malaria, are becoming increasingly resistant to insecticides. Some species also bite earlier in the evening, and more often outside of homes.
As a result: a significant portion of bites occurs when the family is still awake, outside, without protection. The WHO is also calling for the development of new tools to protect people outside their homes.
How to protect your children in the evening?
Here are some simple actions to adopt as soon as night falls:
- Apply a skin protection in the late afternoon, around 5 PM, before the mosquitoes become active.
- Cover arms and legs with light clothing when possible.
- Eliminate standing water around the house (buckets, tires, cans) where mosquitoes breed.
- Continue to sleep under a mosquito net every night, all year round.
- At the first sign of fever, consult a health center quickly. Malaria can be treated if caught early.
MAÏA: a gesture you already make
In Burkina Faso, 8 out of 10 children already receive an ointment every day to hydrate their skin, most often in the late afternoon. MAÏA takes this daily act of love and transforms it into protection.
MAÏA is a moisturizing ointment with shea butter, cottonseed oil, and beeswax, which repels mosquitoes for up to 8 hours. It does not replace the mosquito net: it complements it by protecting your children during the evening, where the mosquito net cannot do anything.
Sources: WHO, World Malaria Report 2025; INSS, Personal Hygiene and Protection Against Mosquitoes in Burkina Faso, 2018.