Search results for:

…of hepatitis C and, consequently, a high incidence of liver cancer cases. When liver cancer is diagnosed early, the survival rate is 80%. Solution The project sought to develop a quantitative ultrasound toolkit for the early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer. The technology at the root of the solution relies on the conventional ultrasound. These ultrasound scanners discard the returned raw ultrasound signal (RF data) once the B-mode image is formed. The technology being evaluated uses these RF data for quantitative processing and analysis through methods known as quantitative ultrasound…

…mortality from a bacterial pathogen (8 million new cases of TB and 2 million deaths per year). Researchers working in microbiological diagnostic and research laboratories are likely to be exposed to infection risk with pathogens. The incidence of TB among laboratory personnel working with M. tuberculosis is known to be three to nine times higher than the infection risk for those working on other diseases. Solution The project goal was to develop strains of M. tuberculosis that are unable to grow at 37°C or higher temperatures, to…

Issue Malaria is one of the major threats to public health and economic development and, in Tanzania, malaria is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Conventional malaria vector control strategies, including integrated malaria vector control (IVM), using long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), indoor residual spraying (IRS) and environmental management have been found to be effective.…grass in pots around the houses. Lemon grass has long been used in natural insect repellents, which contain citronella oil. Native to Asia, the grass can grow up to six feet tall and is quite an attractive ornamental grass. A total of 800 pots and seedlings were purchased and transported to the field sites. Transplanting…children below five years of age. A total of 119 children participated in the study, with 114 available at the end of the study to be tested for malaria. Twenty households were enrolled for mosquito collection. Outcome The study was not able to establish any reduction in the prevalence of malaria resulting from the presence lemon grass. A total of 5,203 and 3,897 female Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes were collected at baseline and at the end of the intervention respectively, which showed a significant change in the number of mosquito bites in the houses after the intervention. After dissection, none of the captured mosquitos had filarial worms. The team would like…

Issue Management of diabetes – a disease that affects 300 million globally – requires continuous monitoring of blood sugar. Current approaches to blood glucose measurement are invasive, expensive and unavailable to those with lower income, so many people suffer complications because they do not monitor their blood sugar. Solution The goal was to develop a non-invasive and continuous glucose sensor for diabetics by measuring the glucose level from other body fluids, including tears. Two major challenges were the very low concentration of glucose in tears and the difficulty…

…increased mining activity and, in these areas, the majority of the population is coping with high levels of lead in their blood (over 10 ug/dL). Chronic exposure to heavy metals (even at low levels) is detrimental to human health and the issue has become a public health concern in Peruvian regions where mining is prevalent. To date, no studies are available on successful measures for removing heavy metals from the human body. Solution The objective of this project was to develop a probiotic beverage to be used as a dietary supplement capable of removing heavy metals from the body. The first step in the project involved identifying whether bacteria of the gastrointestinal microbiome from people who are living…assays using murine models. Although preliminary in vivo results showed a reduction in arsenic levels in the peripheral blood of mice after 20 days of treatment, no significant differences were observed when compared with the control group. Further in vivo assays are necessary using the comprehensive collection of candidate strains of Lactobacillus to fully demonstrate…

…providers (government, semi-government, private for-profit, NGOs) with varying capabilities. This frequently results in serious treatment delays. In the absence of a central 911 system, patients often need to wait for an ambulance and/or they are transported without proper paramedic support in public transport. On reaching hospital, they may be shuttled from one hospital to another, as many facilities do not have the necessary critical care units. When…

…Asia and South America. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced a “T3: Test, Treat, Track” initiative on World Malaria Day in 2012, with the goal of scaling up diagnostic, treatment and surveillance systems in malaria-endemic countries. A central tenet of this initiative revolves around universal access to quality malaria diagnostics, with both rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and microscopy. Unlike RDTs, microscopy has the capability to speciate and quantify malaria diagnoses, but issues surround the…healthcare in resource-constrained settings by enabling access to prompt and accurate diagnostic tools. Solution The goal of the project was to use handheld and mobile phone microscopes for the diagnoses of malaria, schistosomiasis and intestinal protozoa infections, and to test in ‘real world’, public health settings. The aim was to provide portable, quality laboratory testing…

…funding gap in the face of increasing numbers of people living with HIV, which may well increase in the future if international funding is reduced. Universal access to HIV services is essential for people living with HIV. Patients who do not access regular HIV care have a significantly higher mortality rate. There is a need for new, socially acceptable solutions to sustain HIV care in the face of new fiscal realities in resource-limited countries. Solution Implemented…started on ART. In addition, 51 lives were improved, as 49 patients enrolled in ART had an improvement in CD4 count, and 2 patients lost to follow up have returned to care in the new clinic. In addition, patients viewed the model favourably, as they felt it could help to address a number of challenges…

Issue Many of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people live in communities that are in direct proximity to water – in floating houses or in stilted homes over flooded areas – where poor sanitation leads to the spread of diarrheal diseases and increased child mortality. In Cambodia, an estimated 25–45% of the population lives…a sanitation and wastewater treatment system – the HandyPod – in two floating community regions comprised of ten villages in Cambodia. The HandyPod is an innovative system for providing effective sanitation to floating communities. Using sequestration and a biological filtration system, the HandyPod effectively treats human waste. Creating the demand for sanitation and an awareness…onto land and fish catches dropping to record lows, slashing incomes for the majority of the families. As dwellings were forced onto the shoreline, the original HandyPod design had to be modified to cope with ‘amphibious’ conditions, rather than being targeted at homes that had been permanently afloat. The team adapted the design by replacing…monitor the product’s uptake to learn whether any adjustments are required to the sanitation marketing and supply chain model. WW intends to apply for funding to scale up the distribution of the HandyPod. In addition to Grand Challenges Canada support through WaterAid Cambodia for this proof-of-concept sanitation marketing program, funds were provided through the World…