The Other 90%: How can Biomedical Technology Save the Developing World
Today 90% of biomedical designers spend their time concentrating on the needs of the richest 10% of the world’s population. Unfortunately this ignores 90% of the world’s population where the average person makes less than $2 a day. This disparity means that the people of the world that are in the severest need for medical assistance usually have to go without due to a lack of affordable medical devices in their country. This sad fact is starting to change with the help of Dr. Paul Polek and his creation of the think tank D-Rev: Design Revolution, which concentrates on the creation of technologies that are affordable for the poorest in the world. Two of his breakthroughs involve the treatment of Jaundice in newborns and the creation of low-cost birthing kits.
Having children in safe conditions surrounded by trained professionals is something that most of us take for granted; but for most of the world giving birth takes place in a unsanitary enviroment with only untrained family members to help. This results in nearly 1 million newborns dying each year from infections. This problem is being addressed by the creation and distribution of so called safe birth kits. These kits contain soap, gloves, a razor blade for the umbilical cord, a towel for the baby, and most importantly a pictorial instruction manual, which allows even people who are illiterate to use the kit properly. This inexpensive kit could help give children in developing countries a better shot at survival.
Another technology is aimed at treating newborns in developing countries with neonatal Jaundice. Neonatal Jaundice is a condition where the new liver cannot break down excess bilirubin in the blood and gives the newborn a yellowish look. In most cases this condition goes away on its own with no negative health effects, but severe cases do require treatment with deafness or brain damage resulting if the Jaundice is left unchecked. The treatment for neonatal Jaundice requires the uninterrupted exposure to blue light for one to two days. This simple treatment is also a very expensive treatment, with the phototherapy device costing roughly $3,000 per unit. So D-Rev came up with a unit that uses LED lights that last up to five years instead of expensive fluorescent lights that need to be replaced regularly. The LED lights also require half the wattage of fluorescents which mean that if power is interrupted they can run up to 8 hours on a car battery. The cost of this unit is only $400 dollars and puts it into the price range for developing countries.
As Biomedical Engineers we often find ourselves thinking of cutting edge technology that is very expensive and requires a well-established infrastructure. It is important for all of us to remember that this category only covers a very small percent of the world’s population and it is important for us all to think of the other 90%.
References:
http://blog.paulpolak.com/?cat=105
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/health/27birth.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/health/27jaundice.html
Having children in safe conditions surrounded by trained professionals is something that most of us take for granted; but for most of the world giving birth takes place in a unsanitary enviroment with only untrained family members to help. This results in nearly 1 million newborns dying each year from infections. This problem is being addressed by the creation and distribution of so called safe birth kits. These kits contain soap, gloves, a razor blade for the umbilical cord, a towel for the baby, and most importantly a pictorial instruction manual, which allows even people who are illiterate to use the kit properly. This inexpensive kit could help give children in developing countries a better shot at survival.
Another technology is aimed at treating newborns in developing countries with neonatal Jaundice. Neonatal Jaundice is a condition where the new liver cannot break down excess bilirubin in the blood and gives the newborn a yellowish look. In most cases this condition goes away on its own with no negative health effects, but severe cases do require treatment with deafness or brain damage resulting if the Jaundice is left unchecked. The treatment for neonatal Jaundice requires the uninterrupted exposure to blue light for one to two days. This simple treatment is also a very expensive treatment, with the phototherapy device costing roughly $3,000 per unit. So D-Rev came up with a unit that uses LED lights that last up to five years instead of expensive fluorescent lights that need to be replaced regularly. The LED lights also require half the wattage of fluorescents which mean that if power is interrupted they can run up to 8 hours on a car battery. The cost of this unit is only $400 dollars and puts it into the price range for developing countries.
As Biomedical Engineers we often find ourselves thinking of cutting edge technology that is very expensive and requires a well-established infrastructure. It is important for all of us to remember that this category only covers a very small percent of the world’s population and it is important for us all to think of the other 90%.
References:
http://blog.paulpolak.com/?cat=105
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/health/27birth.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/health/27jaundice.html
posted by Matthew Hurley at 12:01 PM
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