Answer to Question #195049 in History for Nana

Question

Give five examples of technologies and how these technologies can be described as appropriate for a community in Africa

Answer 1

1.     Exatype

Exatype tests HIV drug resistance with unprecedented speed and accuracy and at a fraction of the cost. Exatype solves the problem of drug resistance by showing which drugs would be most effective for each individual patient, thus increasing response and improving treatment. By using the cloud, Hyrax Biosciences is able to take their research from idea to business in a short amount of time and at a fraction of the cost it would incur before. 

2.     Vula Mobile

This technology helps health workers in rural areas send data and photos of cataracts to a specialist in a nearby city. They can then diagnose the problem, suggest a solution, and even book appropriate surgery, eliminating need for numerous trips to the city for those who live in remote areas. Once the treatment has been identified, they can go visit the specialist to undergo the surgery.

3.     Fyodor: Urine Malaria Test (UMT)

This is a US based biotechnology firm. It is a urine malaria test that provides point-of-need diagnosis of the Plasmodium parasite using dipstick technology as used with manual pregnancy tests. The do-it-yourself solution delivers a diagnosis within 25 minutes and can be executed with little or no training. The potential of offering accurate and early diagnosis of malaria can speed up the process of tackling the disease in rural areas lacking in healthcare infrastructure and also reduces the risk of the wrong treatment, greatly aiding the fight against malaria.

4.     Api-Palu

This is an anti-malaria drug treatment made from natural plant extract, making it significantly cheaper than anti-malarial drugs currently on the market. Api-Palu has great inhibitory effects on 3D7 strains of plasmodium falciparum the causative agent of malaria. The Api-Palu treatment is available as tablets, capsules, or syrup, as such will make a huge change for patient and budget especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.

5.     BRCK

This is a rugged modem designed for harsh environments with limited power and connection. It can switch between different types of connection such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G. It comes with eighty hours of battery life which is vital during Africa’s frequent blackouts, like Kenya’s nationwide power blackout.

The BRCK can also create secure networks wherever it is set up, collect weather data and can perform remote repairs via the cloud. In addition, the way in which the product has been designed has prompted its partnership with educators, merging the BRCK with a Raspberry Pi (a low-cost, credit-card sized computer) to create robust tablets with large battery life and an easy-to-use interface. This low-cost solution, called the Kio, is being used in schools.