CAPE TOWN - From a WhatsApp chatbot to a self-diagnosis tool, health technology innovation has thrived in Africa amid the coronavirus.
study
by the World Health Organization (WHO), the coronavirus pandemic has spurred health technology innovation in Africa.
Here are some of the creative inventions Africans have developed as a response to the challenges of the pandemic:
-
3D mask printing
Natalie Raphil is the founder of Artificial Intelligence company Robots Can Think South Africa.She's using 3D printers to
produce 100 masks a day
for use in some of Johannesburg's major hospitals. South Africa accounts for around half of all reported coronavirus cases in Africa.
-
Rapid 65-minute Covid-19 testing kit
South African tech entrepreneurs Daniel Ndima and Dineo Lioma have created a Covid-19
testing kit
which provides results in just 65 minutes.
Typically, it can take up to three days for Covid-19 tests to produce results.
The testing kit is known as qPCR, and features a technology used to measure DNA. The testing kit needs to undergo regulatory approval before it can be rolled out.
-
Solar-powered hand-washing sink
Ghananian Richard Kwarteng and his brother Jude Osei decided to design a
solar-powered hand-washing basin
. When hands come into contact with a sensor on the device, soapy water is automatically released. An alarm goes off after 25 seconds of hand-washing - within the timescale recommended by the World Health Organization.
that sanitises cash notes that are passed through a slot in the machine. Wanjohi constructed the mechanism using a motor, a rubber band and gears which enable notes to pass through the machine. As the notes pass through the device, they are cleaned with a sanitising solution.
-
$1 Covid-19 Testing Kit
Scientists In Senegal Developed A $1 Covid-19 Testing Kit And Plan To Export Millions To African Countries. Originally made to test for Dengue Fever, the test resembles pee-on-a-stick pregnancy technology and can detect the virus in 10 minutes. Patients drop blood or saliva on the device and wait for a line to appear.
For LIVE updates on the Coronavirus pandemic, follow us on Twitter:
@sacoronamonitor