Noncommunicable Diseases

Hypertension is a largely unrecognized epidemic in Africa. The number of hypertensive patients in 2008 and 2025 is estimated at 74.7 and 125.5 million, respectively - a 68% increase. Because the majority of Africa is affected by poor health infrastructure and low numbers of health workers, attempts to prevent and treat hypertension are nearly non-existent.

Hypertension is a largely unrecognized epidemic in Africa. The number of hypertensive patients in 2008 and 2025 is estimated at 74.7 and 125.5 million, respectively - a 68% increase. Because the majority of Africa is affected by poor health infrastructure and low numbers of health workers, attempts to prevent and treat hypertension are nearly non-existent.

This innovation proposes to develop and field test a process for a contextually appropriate and innovative model for hypertension detection, treatment and control that will be rigorously evaluated, and can be scaled up into national programmes and integrated into the healthcare systems of Colombia and Malaysia.

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Many major global health threats (malaria, tuberculosis, parasitic infections but also cancer and nutritional issues) require quality diagnostic tests for both clinical and public health purposes; however, such tests are not available in resource-constrained settings. These innovators have developed a mobile phone microscope capable of facilitating diagnostic testing in rural, remote and resource-constrained environments.

Anne de Groot of GAIA Vaccine Foundation in the U.S. will use printed West African Cloth to educate women on the benefits of screening and vaccinating against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the second most common and lethal cancer affecting women in West Africa. This is thought to be partly due to a lack of knowledge about the causes of the disease. The patterns on clothing in West Africa often have symbolic meaning, but have not yet been exploited for health education.

Almost half of the regions in Peru have increased mining activities. In these regions, the overwhelming majority of the population is coping with high levels of lead in their blood (over 10 ug/dL). Also, nine out of ten children are showing high levels of at least one heavy metal in their body. Chronic exposure to heavy metals (even at low levels) is detrimental for human health and the issue has been established as a public health concern in Peruvian regions with mining activity. Most studies are focused on both the environment and human exposure.

Cervical cancer is a serious public health problem and the leading cause of cancer deaths in Peruvian women. The human papillomavirus (HPV) has been identified as the cause of cervical cancer. More specifically, HPV types 16 and 18 are responsible for about 70% of these cancers. There is an effective vaccine against those two types, but vaccination is not universally used and vaccinated women will still need screening for lesions caused by other HPV types. The Peruvian government has committed to start vaccination in young women; screening is performed using cytology (the study of cells).