To help poor countries, simpler health treatments not dependent on electricity

Millions of people die from preventable or treatable illness each year in poor countries, and while the developed world is increasingly joining the battle, a big obstacle remains in many areas: no stable source of electricity.

Lab equipment has to be plugged in, after all. Certain medicines must be kept cool.

Now, three area research teams have had sparks of inspiration to address the power problem.

A University of Pennsylvania professor wants to operate refrigerators for vaccine storage by using the leftover juice from cell-phone towers. A father-and-son team from Drexel University is developing a device to treat infant jaundice that will run on solar power. And a Pennsylvania State University chemist is working on disposable "chips" that can diagnose disease without any power at all.

Such efforts are just a taste of the increased attention being devoted to diseases in the developing world. The amount that wealthy countries spent on health aid for needy nations nearly quadrupled between 1990 and 2007, from $5.6 billion to $21.8 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars, according to a University of Washington study.

Yet it has leveled off in the current economic crisis and still falls far short of what's needed, said Julie McLaughlin, a sector manager for health, nutrition, and population at the World Bank.

Much of the increase is due to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has committed $13.8 billion to global health projects since 1994. The Microsoft cofounder's philanthropy provided funds for both the Penn State and Drexel projects, for example. Some of the heightened focus also comes from the governments of industrialized nations, due to humanitarian reasons, concerns about fast-spreading threats such as flu, and even basic security.

"If people don't have access to basic services such as health, it creates an environment in which further unrest is fostered," McLaughlin said.

Good timing

Scientists and companies have made chips that allow for a quick diagnosis of certain conditions, just by placing a drop of urine or blood on the surface. As with a home pregnancy test, the patient's condition is revealed by whether a spot on the chip changes color.