In the past (and present) the Grand Challenges in Global Health from the Gates foundation have given rise to a great set of interesting projects. Interesting for these funds are only dedicated to really WILD projects that have a global impact.Next Friday, there will be a brainstorm at my institute on possible projects for this Grand Challenge, for this is the second time that a call is launched which is also linked to low-cost cellphone solutions. Most of the people in this first brainstorm will be physicians, so we will try and locate areas that are in dire need for a medical solution that involves the use of technology. The Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) where I work is a leading institute for HIV/AIDS and we are involved in many international projects, so medical expertise is assured.
In a second phase we will try and work out the WILD technological solution involving low-cost cellphones.
If any of you with expertise in mobile solutions are interested in getting into the technological brainstorming team (to jointly go for such a grand), let me know. We would love to get a collaboration going.
Topics for the call of Grand Challenges Explorations Round 6 are:
- Design New Approaches to Cure HIV Infection;
- Create the Next Generation of Sanitation Technologies;
- The Poliovirus Endgame: Create Ways to Accelerate, Sustain and Monitor Eradication;
- Create Low-Cost Cell Phone-Based Applications for Priority Health Conditions;
- Create New Technologies to Improve the Health of Mothers and Newborns
