HONORING HEROS

15 Kenyatta University (KU) students from the departments of engineering, medicine, pharmacy, and nursing came together to innovate a ventilator dubbed ‘Tiba Vent’. They received support from a board of consultant KU lecturers drawn from the respective departments and the university administration. This innovation came almost one month after the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the country and is a significant step towards addressing the urgent need of ventilators. The students were motivated by the need to pull together and save lives, not only in Kenya but also in Africa and the entire world. We honor them for their great work.

ABC

On April 26, 2020, just about 2 months after the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Senegal, a 1$ test kit was produced in Institute Pasteur, one of the research laboratories in the country. The test kit was developed using the dengue fever kit as a prototype. Not only is the kit affordable but will also take only about 10 minutes to do a test. Because of this test kit, Senegal is able to test everyone who walks into the hospital. Their target is to produce about 2-4 million test kits, not only for them, but also for the whole of Africa to aid in the battle against the virus. We honor this Senegalese lab for its significant advancement towards mitigating the spread of COVID-19.

Meet Ezedine Kamil, Ethiopia’s 18-year-old Natural Science student from Welkite, who invented a contact-free hand-washer. At 18 years, Kamil already has 30 inventions to his name, with 13 of them having patents. He designed a contactless electrical soap dispenser with an in-built sensor. This dispenser can also be operated mechanically using a pedal during power blackouts, which are common in Ethiopia. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, this invention has received approval from the local community, with fifty dispensers being produced by the local university and distributed in banks and hospitals across Welkite. We honor Ezedine Kamil for his great work!

Meet the team of 8 students (in green and white t-shirts) taking BIT at Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), who invented an automatic water dispenser. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, this quick-witted team originally designed a solar energy-based automatic water dispenser with the utmost interest of the rural community. They later modified their invention by incorporating an electrically charged system to satisfy preferences. The team was motivated by the fact that after washing their hands, individuals get contaminated while closing the taps. This innovation is not only useful for proper hand hygiene but also minimizes water wastage. The first set produced was donated to the Prime Minister’s office after being launched by the university rector, and more pieces of the invention are being produced in the laboratory. We honor these students for their excellent work!

Meet Osman Rihan, a medical student from the University of Elimam Elmahadi in Sudan, who invented an infrared thermometer. The working principle of this thermometer is the phenomenon of black body radiation which enables it to measure body temperature remotely. This invention is helpful in detecting a rise in body temperature which is among the most common symptoms of COVID-19. His innovative idea was motivated by the fact that early detection of COVID-19 reduces the risk of community transmission. As an undergraduate medical student, Osman owns more than 6 patents in the medical and child protection field and has received several awards in international competitions. He aspires to support his country in every way he can to overcome the ongoing pandemic. We honor Osman for his great work!

FAMSA… Towards the improvement of healthcare in Africa🌍