Tool/Machine

In Peru, 10% of all births are preterm. Preterm babies are subject to repetitive, invasive procedures in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), causing pain and stress that are associated with neurobehavioural and developmental issues. While tactile stimulation in the form of massage therapy has shown to reduce stress and have positive effects on growth and development of preterm infants, it can be difficult to provide for babies in incubators.

During the first 60 seconds of life, neonatal resuscitation procedures are highly effective in reducing complications and increasing survival of newborn babies. However, an additional intervention may be needed when neonates need a little help with their first breath, often requiring a ventilation device. Such a device is harder to find in low- and middle-income countries. The solution is a manual and portable device for initial respiratory support that allows positive pressure ventilation. It will act as a respiratory trigger to improve chances for spontaneous breathing.

When a patient from a remote hospital in Peru needs artificial respiration, they are being transferred to larger hospitals that are better equipped. During the transfer, patients often receive unsafe respiratory therapy due to the lack of appropriate equipment or skilled healthcare workers. This innovation is introducing a simple and intuitive resuscitator that will enable physicians with little experience to provide pulmonary ventilation or artificial respiration without electric power for several hours.

Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death among children worldwide. Treating water before it is consumed can reduce the diarrhea risk by 42%. In low-resource settings, boiling water is often the only method used, because many other effective household water treatment methods remain unfeasible due to cost, lack of availability and cultural barriers. This bold idea will test a low-cost and reusable water pasteurization indicator in the Peruvian Amazon, a region where childhood diarrhea is rampant and people rely on surface water for drinking.

Backed with a blend of private and Government of Canada investments catalyzed by Grand Challenges Canada, Toronto-based company LegWorks will contribute to a better life for amputees in developing countries. LegWorks will mass produce its innovative, affordable prosthetic knee, the All-Terrain Knee (AT-Knee), the functionality and durability of which makes it ideal for amputees living in the developing world. With $1 million expected from private investors and foundations matched by federal funds, the project will receive an anticipated $2 million to scale-up the success of the company.

In coastal Bangladesh, as in many other places, rainwater is collected from rooftops and stored in large cisterns for use during the dry season (four to six months). It is often contaminated during collection and microbes proliferate during storage, causing health problems for millions. This Enhanced Solar Disinfection (eSODIS) project combines interventions in a novel way to minimize microbial growth during storage using sunlight, as well as treating the water using a small "just-in-time" solar-activated disinfection/dispensing module.

Dr. Shirley Tang is developing a handy device for rapid screening of diarrheal pathogens in water. The aim is to save lives in countries/areas without adequate public health infrastructure by providing individuals an easy-to-use tool to check water contamination prior to consumption.

In the Dominican Republic, an estimated 55% of deaths of children under five were attributed to diarrhea, due in part to water contamination caused by severe flooding episodes. This project is creating an affordable ceramic water filtration process involving silver and copper nanoparticles.

We address the effectiveness of a combination of water disinfectant called Takasamaji and safe drinking water storage container in reducing episodes of diarrhea in rural areas of Tanzania.

Effluents from textile mills are contaminating lakes and rivers in Myanmar, Vietnam and Malaysia, rendering the water unsafe for human consumption. Delivering clean potable water to the developing world is truly a grand challenge. Innovators at the University of Waterloo aim to remove dyes and heavy metals using sustainable nanomaterials derived from biomass.