Final+Report

**Introduction**
 Dengue fever is a tropical disease that is greatly affecting not only the educational system within Pakistan, but the health of its students. Transmitted through mosquitos that thrive in stagnant water and moist environments, dengue fever is responsible for Pakistan being one of the countries with the highest number of infections and deaths caused by the virus. This is due to ''Moonsoon season" that begins in the summer from June until September and affects almost all of Pakistan. During these seasons mosquitoes breed in moist environments, standing water and foliage. Health experts suggest that this is mostly due to stagnant water and poor hygiene found all over areas of Pakistan that contributes to the thriving mosquito population (BigHaber, 2011). Pakistan is a prime site for the increase of this disease. 24% of the population is below the poverty line (Index Mundi, 2012), which means that these individuals cannot even afford the basic means of survival yet alone the luxuries of mosquito netting and other precautionary measures; even those above the poverty line may not be able to afford these items. Alone, these precautionary measures do not stop Pakistanis from catching the disease. In 2011, more than 12,000 have been infected and 125 people have died over the span of two months in Pakistan after coming down with dengue fever ( __CNN__, 2011 ).

 More specifically, dengue fever is also a threat to public institutions such as hospitals and schools in Lahore, Pakistan, where more than 80 percent of the cases have been reported; allowing for clinics to be over flooded with patients lining up for vaccinations and schools being shut down days during Dengue Outbreak Season. Last year, many educational institutions (public/private schools and colleges) in Lahore closed down as a safety precaution to prevent the mosquito from infecting students.

 In order to think of an appropriate solution, we must first look at the underlying problems and restraints regarding the issue. This problem is ideal for further research of design because the problem of dengue fever in Pakistan is new. The first case ever reported in Pakistan was in 1994 (BigHaber, 2011 ). This suggest that majority of the population stands uninformed and unprepared for the hit and spread of this disease. In the provincial province of Lahore, there has been 2950 reported cases, leaving the government in a frenzy to control this epidemic. By 2005 this disease has become the more wide spread mosquito borne virus to affect humans ( APFM, 2001 ). The health educational system needs to be updated regularly, the information regarding dengue fever (symptoms and effects) to be made available to the public; Only 49.9% of the population is literate ( Index Mundi, 2012 ) therefore innovative and effective ways of educating the other 50.1% of the population is imperative. Newspaper, word of mouth, social workers/international aid, television and radio are all popular media that Pakistani use and are effective way to educate the population.

 Though there are existing methods of fumigation and vaccinations to help prevent the widespread of the virus so that local schools can resume their normal schedules, the problem is that these methods have to be imported from elsewhere and this may take days to occur. In addition, Lahore is a city in Pakistan that has poor hygiene which also adds to the dengue problem ( BBC,2011 ) According to the head of the city's Jinnah Hospital, Dr. Javed Akram, most of the infected people from the disease reside in Lahore because it is the largest populated city with vast open spaces and poor sewage system that allows for water after heavy rains to accumulate in pools across the city. In addition, many schools in Lahore have no roofs and children in the primary government education system spend many of their class room sessions outdoors, making them highly susceptible to be infected by the Dengue Virus.



**Targeted Community **
The users we are hoping to help with our design will consist of those within the education system. These users would include students, faculty members and parents. We chose this specific group because of the dengue fever outbreaks affecting schools in Pakistan. Also, young children are more susceptible to this virus because their immune systems are not as strong as adults. We hope to not only prevent the virus from spreading, but also educate faculty members, parents and students on dengue fever because it is a major cause for concern within their region. Therefore, we hope that our design can be incorporated in these troubled areas in order to help prevent the spreading of the virus from shutting down schools and harming students.

**Our solution **
In order to prevent our users from being harmed, we believe a solution can be obtained by designing a chemical repellent delivered through two mechanisms - spray and detergent. Both products may be used separately or can be combined for a total effective solution against Dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

Scientists in the UK have recently discovered a patent-pending Y-chamber chemical which occurs naturally within the sweat of some humans ( New Scientist Health, 2006 ). The chemical occurs naturally within the sweat of some people. Those who produce this chemical appear to repel mosquito bites. It is unknown why all humans do not produce this chemical but it has been tested to naturally and safely ward off mosquito bites. This is a unique form of Bio-mimicry in the sense that humans are simply extracting a naturally-occurring substance from their own species to thwart the dangers of blood-thirsty insects. The Scientists responsible for this discovery are currently undergoing a patent process to ensure their intellectual property and work has been attributed. We foresee an opportunity to use this chemical, when released, as a natural, safe, and effective solution for protecting Pakistanis from the mosquitoes carrying the Dengue Fever virus.

// **Pakistani Repellant and Educational Kit (PREP) (Student Kit)** //

It is our intent to design a mobile kit which may be distributed to students attending schools in Dengue-infected areas. The kit will be provided to every student and will contain one refillable bottle of repellent, a refillable container of the detergent containing the patent-pending chemical and educational/usage documentation and the mosquito repellent which contains the patent-pending Y-chamber chemical. The repellent would be available in two formulas - spray and detergent. The spray allows an individual to apply the repellent directly onto their skin. The detergent allows an individual to wash their clothes in the specially-designed solution containing the patent-pending Y-chamber chemical. Both products may be used separately or together.

The spray provides a portable solution for mosquito protection. It is a lightweight, cost-effective, mobile, and location-agnostic design. Its delivery mechanism is in the form of a non-aerosol spray bottle, which requires no special skill-set or training to use. In short, all humans understand the use of spray bottles. The detergent provides a long-term solution for mosquito protection. It is a clothes-detergent infused with the patent-pending chemical. Washing clothes with this detergent provides longer protection against mosquitoes as their clothes provide a shielding effect when worn. It is our recommendation that both products be used in order to provide a total protection solution.

While preventing the users from getting bitten is highly important, we believe that is simply not enough. The best tactic of avoiding harm is through education and knowledge. Many Pakistani residents do not know about dengue fever and its effects until it is unfortunately too late. This is why we believe it is vital to not only protect the users, but educate them as well. When each student is given a kit, they and their parents will be informed about dengue fever and its causes. They will then be taught how to use the items within the kit as well as the importance of using them. By implementing PREP in Lahore, Pakistan, we believe that our users will be equipped with the necessary tools to protect themselves from disease carrying mosquitos.

//**Environment and Sustainability** //

There are no environmental impacts with the repellent since the patent-pending chemical is a naturally occurring substance originating from human bodies. In addition, we will design the repellent to contain no harmful chemicals to humans, animals, plants, and the environment. It will be a 100% environmentally safe product to use. The detergent will be environmentally safe to use. Similar to existing "green" detergents on the market, our design will contain no environmentally-harming ingredients. It will be Phosphate-, formaldehyde-, and petrochemical-free; kind to sensitive skin; neutral pH; plant-based, non-polluting ingredients; septic safe and gray-water safe; 100 percent biodegradable; sodium lauryl sulfate-free and free of non-ionic surfactants derived from SLS; not tested on animals and no animal ingredients. Of course, the detergent will also contain the patent-pending chemical proven to ward off mosquitoes.

//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> **Packaging and Delivery Mechanisms** // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> With careful consideration to the environment, we have designed the spray bottles to be refillable and constructed from recyclable plastics. Bottles are designed to be re-used and can be refilled with repellent solution, which can be purchased at any local retailer. We chose not to use aerosol cans as the delivery mechanism due its harmful impact on the environment through CFCs. Bottles simply work through the traditional pump-mechanism and will be available in two sizes - small and large. The detergent will be available in consumer-sizes for families and larger bulk amounts for local village laundry services. The detergent will be powder-based and packaged in 100% recyclable organic cardboard materials. These design choices allow for ease-of-storage, extended product-life, and care of the environment.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Outcome**
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> With the implementation of PREP, we foresee many positive outcomes. With the detergent and the protectant spray, our users will be less likely to be bitten by a mosquito. This will therefore limit their chances of being infected by dengue fever and their health will not be jeopardized. Also, by supplying our users with their kits, they are provided with necessary tools to help them against being bitten and as result, this will help prevent schools from shutting down. Students will no longer be deprived of a full education due to unnecessary and preventable outbreaks such as dengue fever. No child should have to learn in an environment that could potentially cause them harm so we believe that out design will help to provide a much safer environment. Similarly, by providing our users with the knowledge and education about dengue fever and its history, they will be able to make more informed choices and know how to protect themselves. By becoming more knowledgeable about the issue, our users will be able to take more precautionary measures and hopefully, help others in their community to also protect themselves.



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Possible limitations and challenges**
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Although we believe our design solution for the proposed problem will be highly effective if put into practice, there are still some possible limitations and underlying factors that may hinder the process. One of the major challenges we may face is getting Pakistani residents to incorporate our kit within their routine. They may be reluctant to use the products due to a number of reasons which is an understandable reaction. By simply handing the users a kit with no concrete information or knowledge, they will be more hesitant to use our design solution. In order to help solve this possible reaction, we believe that by also educating our users, they will have the proper insight to make informed decisions, thus incorporating the kit into their routine.