In Brief

  • Challenge: SDG 13 Challenge
  • Challenge Type: SFI Future Innovator Prize
  • Status: Active

The Challenge

The climate crisis makes reliable access to water unpredictable in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, where the most vulnerable populations life. More than 17 million women per year give birth in healthcare facilities without adequate water, putting their lives and those of their babies at risk. These healthcare facilities are often the only place where rural communities can access health services, but without water, life-saving surgeries cannot be carried out. The patients face emergency referral, and delays resulting in death. 

The Solution

We want to work on a sustainable low-energy solution. The SURGWater transdisciplinary team proposes to use solar water disinfection batch reactors to treat harvested rainwater, providing a back-up supply. We will develop a prototype adapted to the needs of district healthcare facilities in Malawi, where the team has a background of experience and research. We will evaluate feasibility, effectiveness and adoption of the solar water disinfection technology in clinical settings with a view to informing national scale-up.

UN SDG Alignment 

13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 

The Team

  • Team Lead: Prof. Kevin McGuigan, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Science
  • Partner Country Team Lead: Prof. Christabel Yollandah Kambala, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences
  • Team Co-Lead: Dr Jakub Gajewski, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Science

Societal Impact Champion

  • Martin Wesian