Healthy Outlook Blog

HIV Prevention: One Penny Saves One Life

By Melba Newsome | Posted December 29 2010

Africa, Global Health, Health Information, HIV, HIV Prevention, innovation, Inspiration, newborns with HIV, Product Design, Research, Technology, Women's Health

There are an estimated 500,000 new cases of HIV infection in Africa each year. The World Health Organization estimates 90 percent of those are the result of mother-to-child transmission. A single dose of Nevirapine given immediately after birth can protect the baby from the virus. Unfortunately, in many instances, anti-HIV medication can only be found in clinics or hospitals, which can be days away from a mother who gives birth and too late to save the baby from an HIV infection.

“Most children in Africa who become HIV positive at birth will die before they turn 15,” says Robert Malkin, PhD, Director of Engineering World Health at Duke University. “Many will die before their 10th birthday.”

That painful statistic prompted Malkin and his team to tackle the mother-to-infant HIV transmission problem. Their first task was to determine the cause. Healthcare workers in Africa have tried packaging single doses in syringes and containers that the mothers can keep at home but they suffered from evaporation during storage and loss of preservatives.

After testing several materials, Malkin determined that foil was most effective at preventing evaporation and absorption. In essence, the problem would be solved if they packaged the medication like fast-food ketchup.

Malkin and his team fabricated a small, foil-lined plastic pouch that would be filled by the pharmacist and kept at home by the expectant mother until she gives birth. This innovative packaging gives the medication a 10-month shelf life and adds just a penny to the cost of each dose whereas the syringe lasts only two months and costs an extra $1 per dose.

Duke engineers are currently developing three additional sealing technologies for the packaging that pharmacists can use on site—solar, steam and an automated process that packages multiple doses simultaneously for countries that are adopting multi-dose strategies.

Malkin’s innovative packaging design has the potential to change the HIV-landscape in Africa and save many, many lives. Duke engineering staff and researchers have spent the last two summers in Tanzania conducting on-the-ground testing. The protocol could be implemented in South Africa within a year.

“About 50 percent of HIV-positive moms will have HIV-positive children,” says Malkin. “Our goal is to get that down to 2-3%. We’re talking about saving 400,000 children a year.”

CONNECT THE DOTS

Visit the World Health Organization website to learn more about the AIDS/HIV epidemic in Africa.

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