HUMAN odours that repel mosquitoes and a herbal remedy to combat malaria are among the ideas being developed in Africa that need commercial support.
鈥淭he fundamental issue is not money, it鈥檚 culture, and the need for scientists to refocus away from simply publishing results,鈥� says Peter Singer, director of the McLaughlin-Rotman Center for in Toronto, Canada, who carried out a survey of African science.
When Singer and colleagues visited scientific institutions in six African countries, they found 25 鈥渟tagnant鈥� technologies with potential. These included a fuel-free incinerator for destroying medical waste, and drugs to fight sickle-cell disease (Science, ).
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But there is hope. in Tanzania, which makes 25 million insecticide-impregnated nets each year to combat malaria, was set up just five years ago. 鈥淚f only we had 100 companies like that producing drugs, imagine the impact,鈥� says Singer.
