NaCLO Project

NaCLO
Project

Mission

The mission of the NaCLO project is to promote the culture of hygiene and to participate in the development, not only of health, of communities in low- and middle-income countries.

NaCLO is a key part of the ‘Hygiene and Disinfection’ project, which aims to encourage and support the dissemination of the culture of hygiene and the importance of disinfection in low and middle-income countries.

It is an ambitious and wide-ranging project that contemplates health as an essential requirement for the development of countries.

Medivac’s NaCLO project has hygiene as a priority: thus, in addition to initiatives aimed at improving hygiene and health, NaCLO also embraces educational, micro-entrepreneurship and international profit-non-profit cooperation initiatives.

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How did the idea for NaCLO come about?

The project is the result of long journeys in rural Africa by our friend Franco Ladavas, a former member of the Board of Directors of Industrie De Nora SpA, a world leader in the construction of electrochemical plants. Thanks also to his experience as a chemist, Ladavas realized how to tackle the serious lack of hygiene in low- and middle-income countries.

A shortage made even more dramatic by largely inadequate health systems: a combination that constitutes an enormous obstacle to the overall development of those countries. Ladavas thus became aware that he could contribute to improving the sanitary situation in Africa and founded the Association “Amici di Marco ETS”, in memory of his son Marco who died prematurely. Immediately afterwards, he involved his friend Carlo Valesi and MEDIVAC Srl in the conception and construction of a small electro-chlorinator suitable for producing electrolytic sodium hypochlorite on site in a simple and low-cost way. Ladavas and Valesi have only one goal: to equip health centers and hospitals with a system for the local and on-demand production of disinfectant.

So, in 2009, they installed one of the first devices to produce electrolytic sodium hypochlorite in the hospital of Uvira (Democratic Republic of Congo), thanks to which they could also train local technicians in the management of the equipment, in the production and use of the disinfectant in its different dilutions. Subsequently, other devices were installed in several African countries and in Bangladesh. During the years 2019-2021, MEDIVAC Srl then undertook to redesign and rationalize the production system to facilitate its transport, installation, and production start-up, also equipping it with photovoltaic panels (optional) to make it usable anywhere.

Thus, the NaCLO 30 mini-plant and the NaCLO Solar kit were born.

Electrolitic Sodium Hypoclorite

Difficulties in finding disinfectants locally and storing them properly, as well as a lack of knowledge about disinfection procedures, are at the root of poor hygiene in low-income countries, representing some of the frequent causes of the spread of infections.
Based on WHO data, about 2 billion people do not have sanitation services and about 3 billion do not have basic hand washing services with soap and water.

Locally produced electrolytic sodium hypochlorite is the easiest and most sustainable solution to disinfect and thus reduce the impact of many diseases.

NaCLO
30L

is both economically and environmentally sustainable.

Seven key advantages of on-site produced electrolytic sodium hypochlorite

1
Easy to use, ready availability

2
Low cost of production

3
Acts quickly

4
Wide-ranging efficacy

5
Effective at low concentrations

6
Stable

7
Biodegradable

Wide spectrum of action

Electrolytic sodium hypochlorite neutralizes a broad array of micro-organism such as

Gram positive and
Gram-negative bacteria
Fungi
Viruses
Bacterial spores

Application of Fields

Electrolytic sodium hypochlorite neutralizes a broad array of micro-organism such as

Water disinfection

Water disinfection (for small and medium size communities or at home)

Multi-use disinfectant

Multi-use disinfectant (for hospitals, first-aids clinics, communities etc.)

Baby’s hygiene

Baby’s hygiene (maternity, nurseries, at home)

Home disinfection

Home disinfection (serfaces and crockery)

Food sector

Food sector
(fruits and vegetables)

The Facts

Several examples of an earlier version of NaCLO, made with the aim of gaining experience in the field, have been used in various African countries, such as Senegal, Rep. of Congo, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia, Eritrea etc., with positive effects, for example, on the sanitation of rural clinics. The electrolytic sodium hypochlorite produced on site has also been used in the past years to fight the Ebola Virus, creating a sort of sanitary cordon around the most affected areas to contain the reproduction of the virus.

Infections caused by the unavailability of drinking water or the presence of bacteria in houses, public places and hospitals are the main reasons of serious diseases, especially in underdeveloped areas where the risk of exposure for the population is higher. To help tackle the issue, NaCLO offers a mini plant called NaCLO 30L, an equipment that produces, by electrolysis, an aqueous disinfectant solution on sodium hypochlorite-based, one of the world’s most widely used and effective disinfectants.

NaCLO Today

NaCLO in the Medivac srl entity has always believed in the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility. Today, the company is engaged in various CSR projects in line with the objectives stated in the corporate mission and vision.

“NaCLO for Africa – Hygiene as an essential health requisite for the development in low- and middle income countries” is the end point of the MEDIVAC’s CSR program.

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