This archive report was first published on 21 May 2020.
'We can get it done here': Africa's tech scene tackles virus ¶
As the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, African scientists, engineers, and innovators turned to home-grown solutions to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Published on May 21, 2020.
By the time the virus hit Africa, where cases had risen relatively slowly, images of overwhelmed hospitals and stories of health workers strapped for protective gear had been streaming in for weeks.
Enterprising innovators in Kenya, Benin, and other African countries have been working tirelessly to develop locally-made equipment, including 3D-printed face shields, contact tracing apps, and low-cost ventilators.
At Ultra Red Technologies in Nairobi, Mehul Shah and his partner Neeval Shah quickly realized they could be 'first responders' in producing locally-made equipment. In just three days, they designed a working 3D-printed face shield, which they currently produce at a rate of 500 per day.
"It's very important that we can show Kenyans that we can do this here and we don't need to rely on importation. We have got the innovative know-how and the means to get this done here," Mehul Shah told AFP.
Developers in Kenya's thriving tech scene have also been working on contact tracing apps, including Msafari, an application developed by FabLab in western Kisumu. The app allows passengers to input a simple code on their phone along with the vehicle registration number, enabling authorities to track contacts who may have been exposed to the virus.
"If one of those passengers tested positive we are now able to trace all the contacts who checked in on that particular vehicle," said Tairus Ooyi, the lead app developer and data scientist at FabLab.
Meanwhile, engineering students in collaboration with the medical department at the Kenyatta University in Kenya produced a low-cost ventilator at a tenth of the price of an imported machine. The ventilator is undergoing clinical trials and has the potential to save countless lives.
From Ghana to Rwanda, African countries are employing innovative technologies to tackle the virus, including the use of drones to ferry coronavirus tests and humanoid robots to minimize human-to-human contact.
