Moses Rowen
Challenge
SteriPak was developed to address two separate problems in Sub- Saharan Africa (SSA). In most developed countries surgical equipment such as scalpels and forceps are single-use devices, but of necessity, many clinics in SSA reuse them because of their high cost. Rural areas in SSA also rely heavily on bottled gas as a fuel source for heat and cooking. These areas foster a user-owned business model for gas cylinders that often results in poor maintenance and cylinders being used past their intended service life, leading to accidents.
Impact
SteriPak is a kit that responds to both of these problems by converting the end-of-life gas cylinders into sterilisers for medical and baby equipment on an exchange at a cost of $10. This results in lower infant mortality and surgical infection rates and an overall improvement in quality of life. SteriPak will give people access to essential, low-cost, medical grade sterilisation where it was previously unavailable.
Moses Rowen is a freelance designer specialising in mechanical design solutions. He holds degrees in both Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design and has worked on a wide range of projects, from affordable prosthetic design for landmine victims to low impact transport and urban pollution mapping projects. His guiding principles are that good design can change lives for the better.