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Coalition unveils competition to develop solutions for diseases outbreaks

By Femi Adekoya
06 October 2017   |   1:35 am
A coalition comprising health care companies and the Enterprise Development ‎Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University, have announced plans to deploy the use of an innovative and creative competition to address health..

Dr. Ameyo Stella Shade Adadevoh was a Senior Consultant Endocrinologist and Physician who became infected with the deadly Ebola virus while treating the Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer.

A coalition comprising health care companies and the Enterprise Development ‎Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University, have announced plans to deploy the use of an innovative and creative competition to address health and hygiene issues in Nigeria’s rural and urban communities.

The coalition comprises ADCEM Pharmaceuticals, the Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh (DRASA) Health Trust, the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University, eLab, and the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Nigeria, hope to use the #HackTheGerms innovation competition to develop a dispenser that will ensure ongoing availability and access to hand sanitizer to help reduce the spread of infectious diseases and improve the health of Nigerians.

Unveiling the competition yesterday, the General Manager, Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Olawale Anifowose, explained that the goal of the competition is to help Nigerians unleash impactful ideas and turn them into promising new ventures – creating jobs, accelerating innovation, and strengthening economic stability.

According to him, the ‎best dispenser design must be creative, cost-effective and scalable, environmentally friendly and be locally
produced.

The Managing Director, Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh (DRASA) Health Trust,Ms. Niniola Soleye, said the selected semi-finalists of the #HackTheGerms innovation competition will have the opportunity to participate in Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN’s) global entrepreneurship week in November, 2017 in Lagos.

She added that the competition would give participants the opportunity to connect with experts and pitch their idea, stressing that ‎the winner will get back free trip to the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Istanbul, Turkey in April 2018 to pitch their solution to a global audience.

“They will also participate in the eLab Social Innovation Accelerator for support and access to mentors, executive coaches, marketing and financial experts and other resources to further refine
and develop their innovation”, she said.

Soleye added: “We all remember that when Ebola was in Nigeria, everyone was paying attention to their health and hygiene. Soap was everywhere. Hand sanitizer was everywhere and people were using it.Nowadays, that is no longer the case. We want to change that, prioritize hand hygiene, and make sure we keep our communities safe and healthy.”

The Managing Director, Adcem Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Adeyemi Adewole, said in a country of more than 190 million people with a fragmented healthcare system and poor hygiene in communities, Nigeria is at major risk of a significant infectious disease outbreak.

“We keep having small outbreaks here and there but it is only a matter of time before something deadly like Ebola comes again,” he said.The co-Founder of eLab, Mr. Wale Ajiboye, said his company is open to innovative ideas from all Nigerians, stating that the country is blessed with talented people who have fantastic ideas of how to address major challenges and impact lives.

“They just need support and that‎ is what we are doing with this competition. We are providing what they need to realise their innovation, scale their ideas and grow a business. The competition is open to every member of the public. If you have an innovative idea, just visit www.drasatrust.org/hack-the-germs. All submissions must be received by Friday, 20th of October, 2017,” he said.

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