Moskit0: a plant-based value chain, from plant to finished product
Foundations laid for a local repellent production line, DEET-free and with deposit-return containers.
On 25 February 2026, a seminar presented the Moskit0 project at Coastal Road, Trou aux Biches, under the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council's Health thematic area.
The project has laid the foundations for a local repellent production line: a complete plant-based value chain, from agroecological cultivation without phytosanitary inputs through formulation and processing.
Several natural formulations drawn from plants of Mauritius and the region were developed and tested, showing effective repellency without DEET-based chemical insecticides.
Support from the Ministry of Health was decisive: the Vector Biology and Control Division provided three sets of Aedes albopictus cages from its Curepipe breeding facility. The project also builds in circular economy principles — recycled containers and a deposit-return system — ahead of market tests and a scale-up planned for Mauritius, Rodrigues and the wider region.