The Star Homes Project has been in development for over a decade, exploring ways to develop novel, low-cost, comfortable and insect-proof housing to enhance the health of people in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. The project consists of 110 identical, single family ‘Star Homes’ constructed across 60 different villages in rural Mtwara, one of the more underdeveloped regions of Tanzania, with a high incidence of malaria, respiratory tract infections, and diarrhoea. Designed by an interdisciplinary team of architects, public health specialists and entomologists, these houses form the basis of a trial, which aims to provide robust data to show whether improved housing can improve family health.

Following the construction of all 110 Star Homes in June 2021, families moved in and began participating in the trial, in which children under 13 years sleeping in the Star Homes and neighbouring traditional homes will be followed over a three-year period, to detect episodes of malaria, acute respiratory infections, and diarrhoea. Alongside the trial, a team of architects, entomologists and social scientists will assess the performance and acceptability of the house design, using mixed methods involving in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, house walk throughs and a questionnaire-based surveys. Light traps will be used to collect mosquitoes and flies in the Star Homes and the control homes, to assess the amount of malaria carrying mosquitos entering the houses. The study is due to be completed by 2024.