Solar Powered blanket helps healthcare in Africa

Mobile technology has yet not been widely used as a low cost and impactful medium to address the dangerous co-epidemic of HIV and multi-drug resistant TB. We live at a time when mobile devices are changing people’s lives around the globe. Text-messaging, which can be received at no cost in South Africa, has the potential to serve as a powerful communication channel for spreading life saving information throughout the country. This idea is being implemented by the iTEACH program in South Africa by tapping the mobile device to broadcast healthcare information. Women in local sewing hubs integrate flexible solar kits in the locally made African cloth to make a blanket. The patients use the blanket during the day to stay warm. Sunlight charges the unit in three hours, creating 6 watt-hours of energy stored in a rechargeable battery. At night, Portable Light powers a cell phone and provides ten hours of bright white light to facilitate the night time home care treatment established by the iTEACH Program.
[Treehugger]