Life Saving Technological Innovation In Ghana

A technological feat that has been designed to save lives has been launched in Ghana. The launch of the product took place on February 6, 2008 at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel. The product known as LifeStraw is an instant microbiological purifier filtration technology. It is used for water purification under the most challenging circumstances. The development of the technology is timely because of the increasing need for clean drinking water in most parts of the developing world including Ghana. The side effects of poor dinking water in most local communities have been felt in diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, guinea worm and other water borne diseases. The availability of clean drinking water can preserve lives. The product is the innovation of Verstergaard Frandsen, an international company which was founded in 1957, the same year in which Ghana got her independence from Britain. The company has been involved in initiatives and collaborations with government agencies in Ghana towards eradicating water borne diseases. The need for good, safe drinking water cannot be over emphasised. Water as an essential commodity must not only be accessible but available. These are the reasons that make the availability of this product in Ghana so relevant. The product is so simple to use and requires no electricity or fuel to operate on. It has a high flow rate and has the capacity to remove about 99.9% of bacteria. Apart from Verstergaard Frandsen’s involvement in malaria control, the company is committed to complementing the country’s efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals through disease prevention. The company also works closely with WHO, UNICEF, USAID, DFID, Plan International, World Vision and CARE International.