How might we rapidly equip and empower the care community to fight Ebola? OPEN IDEO CHALLENGE - MISSION #4 (prevention) Vanessa Counaert and Cedric Vanhoeck
RESEARCH
EBOLA A closer look at sanitation
The Ebola virus is transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, the most infectious being blood, faeces and vomit. The Ebola virus has also been detected in breast milk, urine and semen The virus is likely to survive is a few days, if left in a pool of bodily fluid in a cool, damp place There is a lack of infrastructure in the contaminated countries : public water supply, toilets, sanitation system, and electricity In addition, urban migration in those countries has forced the establishment of large populated slum communities
Sources : What we know about transmission of the Ebola virus among humans, WHO, October 6, 2014 U.S.$17.5 Million Lost to Poor Sanitation, World Bank Report Says, developmentdiaries.com, June 19. 2013 How to avoid being infected with Ebola, Sarah Boseley, The Guardian, 14 October 14, 2014
SHARED LATRINE Sanitation risk
1.2 million Liberians use unsanitary or shared latrines
Maintenance/hygiene issues and increased risk of contamination It can take time to reach (and potentially queue at) a public latrine (which may impact productivity and compliance) There is also a risk of physical attack and sexual violence on the way to the latrine, especially at night
Source : Economic impacts on poor sanitation in Africa, water and sanitation program, WSP, http://www.wsp.org/content/africa-economic-impacts-sanitation
OPEN DEFECATION Sanitation risk
1.7 million Liberians have no latrine at all and defecate in the open Fecal contamination of the environment is the root cause of an annual average of 2,800 cases of cholera affecting Liberia Open defecation costs more per person than any other type of unimproved sanitation; this is mainly due to the time taken to find a safe, private location for defecation It also has considerable social costs. Loss of dignity and privacy or risk of physical attack and sexual violence
Source : Economic impacts on poor sanitation in Africa, water and sanitation program, WSP, http://www.wsp.org/content/africa-economic-impacts-sanitation
PROBLEM STATEMENT Sanitation for use in crisis situations/areas
Ebola virus has been detected in blood, faeces, vomit, urine and semen There is a risk of contamination through sharing latrines and open defecation 69% of the Liberian population use either open defecation or shared latrines (1) The situation is urgent
How might we prevent the transmission of the virus by limiting the contact points with foreign bodily fluids in times of outbreak (now)?
Source : 1. Economic impacts on poor sanitation in Africa, water and sanitation program, WSP, http://www.wsp.org/content/africa-economic-impacts-sanitation
CURRENT ANSWERS OVERVIEW Toilet in a bag Example of Pee Poople
PEE POOPLE Answer 1/3 WHAT WE LIKE
OPEN QUESTIONS
The double bag system to insure outer bag cleanliness
How to avoid contact/handling of inner bag once used
The bag is small and easy to carry around
How to carry the waste if needed
The bag can be used with a support to improve sanitation and convenience
How to insure waste is handled properly to avoid contamination (transport, storage) How to insure waste is buried properly to avoid contamination We doubt the conditions (humidity and temperature) for PLA (plastic) degradation are met, especially in such quantities which raises ecological questions in case of long term use
Link : peepoople.com
CLEANWASTE Answer 2/3 WHAT WE LIKE
OPEN QUESTIONS
The double bag system : no contact with waste
Poo powder cost for large scale use
Pre-loaded with Poo Powder, gelling deodorizing agent
How to carry the waste if needed
The bag can be used with a support to improve sanitation and convenience
How to insure waste is handled properly to avoid contamination (transport, storage) (could the poo powder inactive viruses?) How to insure waste is buried properly to avoid contamination We doubt the conditions (humidity and temperature) for PLA (plastic) degradation are met, especially in such quantities which raises ecological questions in case of long term use
Link : cleanwaste.com
UDDT : Urine Diverting Dry Toilet Answer 3/3 WHAT WE LIKE
OPEN QUESTIONS
DIY reduces dependance on external institutions
Risk of contact with spills with the single bag system
The solutions considers ecological impact
Multiple use of the bag increases spills and contamination risk
It’s Free
Cannot guarantee quality standard of used garbage material Urine diverting makes the system more complex How to safely carry the waste, if needed How to insure waste is handled properly to avoid contamination (storage)
Link : http://buff.ly/1spqs0y See also Chris Canaday submisson on Open Ideo
CURRENT ANSWERS OVERVIEW Potential supports overview
CURRENT ANSWERS OVERVIEW Carrying habbits
IDEATION My personal portable toilet
IDEATION My personal portable toilet
Foldable cardboard and paper toilet seat, containing PLA waste disposal double bags Lightweight thanks to the materials and the supportive honeycomb structure Cheap to produce, possibility to produce locally Can be used as combustible for the incineration of human ‘contaminated’ waste (end of life product)
IDEATION My personal portable toilet
1. UNFOLD THE SUPPORT
First the paper strips that hold the top of the toilet together are detached to uncover the instruction guide printed on the product. The user follows the step by step instructions.
2. INSERT THE BAG
3. USE THE TOILET
The waste disposal double bags are stored in the toilet seat. One double bag is taken and placed on the toilet seat: the small lips of the bags (2 red of the internal bag and 2 blue of the external bag) are fixed to keep the bag in place. An additional red lip can be used by women for privacy purposes and to avoid spills.
IDEATION My personal portable toilet
4. CLOSE THE DOUBLE BAG
When finished the user takes out the used double bag grabbing the blue lips. This mechanism allows the user not to touch the internal bag that may be stained. With the weight, the internal bag falls inside the external bag. The user makes a knot to hermetically seal the blue bag. The closed bag can be put back in the toilet seat for storage.
5. FOLD THE SUPPORT
When needed, the toilet seat can be folded back and hermetically sealed using the paper strips. There is enough space in the triangle for the waste storage of one person for one day. See "waste management" for the waste disposal concepts.
IDEATION My personal portable toilet
If patients are too sick to use the personal toilet, then we’d recommend the use of solutions such as the ones illustrated here
Further development would be needed to make sure the caregivers stay safe when handling the contaminated waste of the relatives.
IDEATION Waste Management System
WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 1/3 Meet Titus, a Liberian citizen
Titus leaves home to go to work
He then trashes the bag(s) at the collective cremation point
Titus unfolds his personal portable toilet
Titus safely seal the waste
Titus goes home and enjoys time with his family
Titus carries the waste discreetly inside the toilet
WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 1/3 Cremation considerations
Cremation system can easily be set up and is already partially in place with the burning of the corpses The fire is lit once a day by an equiped and trained local worker Burning PLA is not ideal but PLA is the least toxic plastic when burned (ecocost 2010 = 0.0) The use of wood can be reduced by using the toilet seat as combustible, see proposal 2/3, this also insures more safety at the cremation point
WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 2/3 Extra safety - preferred solution
Titus leaves home to go to work
He then trashes the toilet at the collective cremation point
Titus unfolds his personal portable toilet
Titus safely seal the waste
And receives a new unit from a local trained worker
Titus carries the waste discreetly inside the toilet
Titus goes home and enjoys time with his family
WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 3/3 For long term use outside of crisis periods
Titus leaves home to go to work
Titus goes home
Titus unfolds his personal portable toilet
Titus safely seal the waste
Titus burries the waste for sustainable development
Titus carries the waste discreetly inside the toilet
NOTES : In this scenario the PLA bags would be replaced PLA coated biodegradable material such as paper or bamboo.
IDEATION Delivery System
DELIVERY SYSTEM Leverage current solutions
Leverage current aid infrastructure
Define local liaisons in key strategic areas to insure stock management and continuity of supply
BACKUP
DESIGN REQUIREMENTS My personal portable toilet
FUNCTION The unit can collect min 3l fluid waste (urine & vomit) The unit can collect min 1,5kg solid waste (faeces) The bag is an object that transports human waste (should this be visible?) The bag’s closing system and material limit risk of leaking The product is water resistant The unit is portable No need of water in normal usage
ERGONOMICS The unit must satisfy men, women and children measures The blocks are lightweight (maximum 250g?) The product is as small as possible (no bigger than 0,125m3?) The product prevents the user from splashes during usage
EXPERIENCE The product hides the produced human waste: visual & odor. The product enhances the privacy of the user by hiding the intimate parts Instruction for use in pictograms to address language and illiterate issues
MAINTENANCE The product is easy to clean The product’s lifetime is up to 3 months?
ENVIRONMENT The product is water resistant (rainy seasons) The product is resistant to high temperatures The product is UV resistant The product can resist a fall of 2m on a hard ground (stone) The product can resist 920N (max weight person)
PRODUCTION AND TRANSPORT The product must be produced for max. 5 USD/unit? The unit is lightweight The product is as small and discreet as possible
