16 NEW VISION, Monday, September 4, 2017 NEWS FEATURE Young innovators want funding

By Hope Mafaranga WHAT stakeholders If innovations are fully funded, they say about will go a long way in improving neo- the hackathon natal and maternal health, young innovators have said. During the 5th Annual Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTech) Uganda and Medtech hackathon held at Mbarara University of Science and Technology recently, the young innovators said they needed funds to actualise their ideas. The innovators, who included clinicians, engineers, entrepreneurs, students and designers, meet annually, to develop innovative Moses Wetyanga, medical technologies to improve clinical officer neonatal and maternal health in low- I am honoured to have been resource settings. part of the hackathon and I Titus Rukundo, a Primary Seven believe it will help to improve pupil of Preparatory Primary School neonatal and maternal health. in Mbarara, said they will not wait to become professors to find solutions to neonatal and maternal deaths. “The time is now. Young have come up with an affordable medical technology, the Kangaroo+, a traditional modification of kangaroo care by combining a thermometer and Some of the participants of the hackathon at Mbarara University of Science and Technology skin-to-skin contact to help children who are born prematurely keep warm,” Rukundo, 13, who was one of the young innovators, said. Out of 250 He said they use their ideas to prevent deaths that are associated innovators, with child birth. Another significant Andrew Wesuta, university innovation that was on display during grants data personnel the hackathon, was the Safe and Dry, CAMTech awarded The activities helped young a tool that helps women with fistula to people to think hard and hold urine and faeces. Kangaroo+, an innovate for health, hence The participants also came up with a reducing maternal mortality device for treating menstrual cramps and morbidity in Uganda. and a low-cost infant warmer, among alternative others. Dr Santorino Data, the director to traditional of CAMTech Uganda, said young people have fresh minds and ideas which they can use to innovate cheap kangaroo care technology to end maternal mortality in the country. improving He said the winning teams will be monitored and helped to have access webinars and peer-to-peer learning neonatal and engagements. “Each team will also compete in maternal health a 90-day post-hack opportunity Obua and Tumwebaze after the event. Photos by Andrew Tushabe for membership in the CAMTech Viola Nahurira, 4th year Accelerator Programme (CAP). CAP medical student provides milestone-based funding, a from healthcare workers about the Elioda Tumwesigye, the Minister of commercialisation efforts for the We appreciate the organisers CAP coach, participation in the CAP challenges they face in delivering Science, Technology and Innovations, proven concept. of this event, but we kindly Cohort, expert match-making and neonatal and maternal healthcare said he was impressed with by the “My ministry will support you in ask the government to six-months of acceleration support,” services. commitment and dedication of young reaching proof of concept status for increase resources, especially Data said. “CAMTech is a global network people to promote entrepreneurial your viable ideas. We have set aside in expertise to help us young Prior to the hackathon, Data of academic, corporate and capacity and accelerate medical sh13b to the crucial ideas and we innovators to develop our ideas said they hosted a clinical summit implementation partners whose technology innovation to improve the will put out a call for innovators to into final products. featuring panel discussions focused mission is to build entrepreneurial health outcome in a low and middle compete to make their ideas a reality,” on paediatric and neonatal health, capacity and accelerate medical setting in Uganda. Tumwebaze said. nursing, midwifery, obstetrics and technology development through an “Our health outcomes are still far The vice-chancellor of Mbarara science technology and innovation gynaecology. open innovation platform. from the ideal. It is through such University of Science and Technology, in transforming Ugandan into “It is a time where we get to the “CAMTech innovators come from innovations that we can develop Prof. Celestino Obua, was delighted knowledge based economy. problems affecting frontline health public health, clinical medicine, sustainable solutions that can change that innovators had started yielding He also emphasised the role of workers who are battling to save lives engineering and business work with lives of even the ordinary Ugandan,” results. intellectual property rights such as on daily basis,” Data said. end users in low and middle income he said. Obua mentioned Collard Group patents utility models and industrial Dr Kristian Olson, the director countries and we support local The minister pledged support for Limited, which is fully registered and designs in promoting innovation. of CAMTech in Boston, US, said innovators to transform ideas into the innovators to actualise their produces SaniDrop, a locally made He, however, said the team is also participants also identified clinical solutions that can revolutionise health innovations to a level where they can handsanitiser and Eco Smart Uganda working with Uganda Registration challenges related to newborn and outcomes for people living in Uganda be consumed by the communities. Limited that makes sanitary towels Services Bureau (URSB) to file for a maternal health, formed multi- and across the globe,” Olson said. “My ministry and the Government made out of sugarcane bagasse in patent. disciplinary teams, prototype He added that they talk to people are interested in supporting you. In Uganda as part of the fruits of the “You have already obtained solutions and developed business who are focusing on challenges that the coming years, you will see the hackathon. intellectual property (IP) rights to your models before presenting their ideas are in their own communities and they prototypes from the hackathon being “Parents get excited to see their innovations such as the augmented to a panel of judges. have come up with better solutions. funded,” Tumwesigye said. children grow. We are also happy infant resuscitator. IP provides With support from Massachusetts “We have heard problems that Frank Tumwebaze, the Minister to see young people who walked in incentives to innovators that are best General Hospital Global Health in the were really rooted in culture and of Information, Communication, our labs making remarkable products harnessed in planned systems, your US, the participants visited Mbarara in economics and the technical Technology and National Guidance born out of CAMTech ,” he said. innovation ecosystem in Mbarara Hospital, Ishaka Adventist Hospital, difficulties for certain things, but also told the innovators that global funders He said as Uganda gears to become University has made a mark in this Holy Innocents Children’s Hospital in scaling and in communication,” do not want to fund processes a middle income country by 2020, it already and must be supported,” he and Itojo Hospital, where they learned Olson added. that lead to proof of concept, but is important to appreciate the role of said.