Ebola in Northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

After researching Ebola in the Northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo our group members narrowed our solution search down to three idea solutions:

Ebola Virus can be killed off using high heat. One possible solution is a small washing machine that clean clothes in boiling water (140°F) for one hour to kill off any remnants of contaminated body fluids, such as sweat, blood, saliva, semen. The small size allows it to be used in individual households or in healthcare facilities. The energy used to power the machine could be solar power.

Feces is one of the largest carriers of the Ebola Virus. Healthcare facilities are currently keeping contaminated waste in separate containers and storing it for later transport out of the hospitals. One possible improvement to this system is the implementation of an appliance for feces that seals and heats waste at high temperature or in boiling water to kill/inactivate the virus so that it can be disposed of in a regular latrine. Solar power could be utilized to power the appliance.

Specific chemicals are known to be able to kill the Ebola Virus, such as bleach, alcohol, chlorine, and ammonia. To decrease the transmission of the virus through body fluids, a body wash/soap with an alcohol content to kill the virus could be used to clean the entire skin surface when bathing/showering (to be used after cleaning with regular soap). The soap would be combined with antibacterial and moisturizing agents so that the skin is cleaned but not completely dried out. This could help decrease the transmission of infected body fluids.

We used the weighted decision matrix below to determine which of the three solutions to use.

To educate the population about Ebola we have created the following brochure, keep in mind this is a slight draft. Many other additions will be made following the synthesis of our solution prototype. This brochure aims to inform the public Northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Ebola and our engineering-based solution to it.

Take a peek:

Ebola Brochure (1)