Philippa Ngaju Makobore, ABEC contact point at UIRI, was awarded as outstanding African Innovators by the African Innovation Foundation (AIF). In the sixth edition of the Innovation Prize for Africa  (IPA) organized by AIF, out of the total of over 2500 applications, 10 nominees were selected, and from these, Philippa won the Second Prize.

The Electronically Controlled Gravity Feed Infusion Set (ECFG) by Philippa, who bagged the Second Prize of US$ 25 000, is designed to accurately administer intravenous (IV) fluids and drugs by controlling the rate of fluid flow based on feedback from a drop sensor. The ECGF has the potential to save lives by providing accuracy and safety at 8% the cost of a brand new infusion pump. 

It is easy to operate and has key safety features, which include alarms for rate of infusion (rapid or slow), total volume (over or under) and faulty sensors. A battery utilizing a hybrid (AC mains and solar) charging bed powers the device. IV infusions are critical for both adults and children in various situations. Over 10% of children admitted to East African hospitals need immediate infusion therapy. Findings from the FEAST trial indicates that over-infusion in children increased the absolute risk of death by 3.3 % at 48 hours. Erroneous delivery rates can result into serious adverse effects. Proud of you Philippa! For more information, click here

A total of 72 projects, from 22 institutions distributed over 13 countries of Africa, Europe and North America, were submitted to the first stage of ABEC Design Competition. From these, 53 have been selected to participate in the second stage. Check the list of eligible projects at this link. We want to thank you all for participating with passion and enthusiasm in this competition.

Instructions for the second stage are available on the Here

Dear Innovators’,

the next Innovators’ Summer School will be held at Cairo University on December 10-14. The theme of the Summer School is Biomedical and Clinical Data and Informatics for Development in Africa. You are kindly invited to submit your projects!

For further information ask to the contact point at your Institution, or send an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The UBORA design competition 2018, announced during the closing ceremony of the UBORA design school in Nairobi, officially started in the first days of January.

The competition seeks innovative biomedical engineering solutions from students (individuals or teams) addressing healthcare problems faced by the ageing society promoting Healthy Ageing, enabling individuals to live both longer and healthier lives, or can be used in treatments of age-related diseases, syndromes, and disabilities. For the best-ranked projects, travel from the university town to Pisa and back and full-board will be provided for one team member to attend  UBORA Design School 2018 to be held at University of Pisa (Pisa – Italy) from 3rd to 7th September 2018. Specific places are reserved for students of ABEC partners. The first stage deadline is on March 1st 1st: you can find all the information here. You can also help us in disseminating the competition by printing and attaching the competition flyer in your university! Thanks in advance!