Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

To develop an ICT (Information & Communication Technology) platform and integrated mobile technologies to implement efficient digital customer support strategy and streamline waste collection, for Fresh Life's fast-growing network of toilets. End users will be able to utilize the platform to report maintenance and give feedback on sanitation products or services, among other applications.

To develop a software platform (accessible through text messaging and a mobile application) for women in informal settlements to report and receive real time information in cases where accessing public latrines and water sources may be a risk to their safety. The information will then be linked to service providers and community leaders to increase efficiency of maintenance of facilities and ensure they are safe for women and children to use.

To apply Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to develop and test a pollution monitoring and management system which will connect community- based Pollution Control Officers and local government to effectively drive change in municipal responses to incidents of water pollution. The project will focus on rapid identification of sources of faecal and solid waste pollution sources that affect water quality and subsequently human health.

To establish a One Stop Digital Sanitation Solution Centre, a dashboard/digital platform that harmonizes the Ministry of Health and Urban governments’ WASH indicators and links government, service providers, entrepreneurs and end users to support and improve multi-sectoral decision making, planning, and provision of safely managed sanitation services to peri-urban settlements of Kampala city in Uganda.

To use digital water Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) dispensers and electronically rechargeable water ATM cards to improve access to sustainable and affordable clean water in poor peri-urban cities in DRC. This innovation will help reduce queuing times and gender-based violence against women and children who are normally obliged to walk at specific times in the early mornings or late evenings to access water points.

In current situation, both conventional and advanced wastewater treatment technologies are either inefficient or costly for removal of micro-pollutants drug particles, heavy metals etc. from water. While, existing membranes have been reported to be not compatible for re-use and recycle. These gaps demonstrate that there is still apparent requirement of a cost-effective simpler solution for providing people with quality water. In the previous study, the study team have efficiently utilized Sericin to remove a model drug Ibuprofen from aqueous solution.

The study intends to develop new low-cost technology based on ferroelectric materials bulk, powder coating/thick film to impair the life of microbial cells commonly found in drinking tap water, water storage tanks and nosocomial infections. Organic pollutant like pharmaceutical waste would be another target area. Remnant charges present on ferroelectric materials surfaces due to dipole polarization of materials are responsible for water micro electrolysis which results in reactive oxygen species (ROS). Microbial cells are susceptible to high ROS content.

GenRobotics aims to eradicate the scourge of manual scavenging by changing Manholes to Roboholes, thereby enable the socio-economic transformation of one of the most marginalised sections of society. The world’s first manhole cleaning robot-Bandicoot does all the tasks that are manually done inside the manhole. The robot operations can be controlled and monitored by the control panel placed outside manhole.

Stunting (being too short for one’s age) is caused by poor nutrition and chronic infection. 40% of Bangladeshi children are stunted. The Max Healthy Village Program's local NGO training model mobilizes rural communities to improve water, sanitation, nutrition and safe motherhood to reduce stunting and fecal- and water-borne diseases in children under-5, giving them a healthy start in life.

Diarrheal diseases are a leading cause of morbidity in Yemen, which is now suffering the largest cholera outbreak in modern history with more than a million cases. UNICEF warned of another impending cholera wave. About 16 million people Yemeni lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Frequent cuts in electricity compromised healthcare and clinics must now rely on generators while struggling to find costly fuel. In Dec 2017 price of diesel increased by 235% compared to 4 months prior.