Interested in Grand Challenges in Global Health in combination with Low Cost cellphones? Let me know

In the past (and present) the Grand Challenges in Global Health from the Gates foundation have given rise to a great set of interesting projects. Interesting for these funds are only dedicated to really WILD projects that have a global impact.

Next Friday, there will be a brainstorm at my institute on possible projects for this Grand Challenge, for this is the second time that a call is launched which is also linked to low-cost cellphone solutions. Most of the people in this first brainstorm will be physicians, so we will try and locate areas that are in dire need for a medical solution that involves the use of technology. The Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) where I work is a leading institute for HIV/AIDS and we are involved in many international projects, so medical expertise is assured.

In a second phase we will try and work out the WILD technological solution involving low-cost cellphones.

If any of you with expertise in mobile solutions are interested in getting into the technological brainstorming team (to jointly go for such a grand), let me know. We would love to get a collaboration going.

Topics for the call of Grand Challenges Explorations Round 6 are:

• Design New Approaches to Cure HIV Infection;
• Create the Next Generation of Sanitation Technologies;
• The Poliovirus Endgame: Create Ways to Accelerate, Sustain and Monitor Eradication;
• Create Low-Cost Cell Phone-Based Applications for Priority Health Conditions;
• Create New Technologies to Improve the Health of Mothers and Newborns

Want to know more? Have a look at their website.