Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Dubai
DIHAD
13 – 15 March 2023

Dubai World Trade Centre

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13 – 15 March 2023

Dubai World Trade Centre

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Featured Exhibitor Products

Home Featured Exhibitor Products

Kitchen Set Stainless Steel

Kitchen Set Stainless Steel

KUNAL HOUSEWARES PRIVATE LIMITED

Kitchen Set Stainless Steel
Kitchen Set Stainless Steel
KUNAL HOUSEWARES PRIVATE LIMITED

Kitchen Set, Stainless Steel, TYPE-A & B for family of 5 person,

Jerry Can, Plastic

Jerry Can, Plastic

KUNAL HOUSEWARES PRIVATE LIMITED

Jerry Can, Plastic
Jerry Can, Plastic
KUNAL HOUSEWARES PRIVATE LIMITED

Jerrycans, Collapsible, Semi-Collapsible, Size- 10 Ltr, 20 Ltr.

Family tents

Family tents

NRS Relief FZCO

Family tents
Family tents
NRS Relief FZCO

DomeHome self-standing family tent GeoHome family tent Cradle Tent Viva Family Tent FR Viva Family Tent Viva Family Framed Tent

Free Cataract surgeries

Free Cataract surgeries

Free Cataract surgeries
Free Cataract surgeries

Al Mustafa Welfare Trust is providing free cataract surgeries, screenings and testing to people from impoverished backgrounds around the world. Since 2010, we have carried out an incredible 157,000 free cataract surgeries - giving the gift of sight to those in need. We aim to reach those most in need and those who do not have access to specialist healthcare. At an eye camp, we screen hundreds of people, perform operations, and check for general health issues. We also distribute glasses and offer advice. For those people who need cataract surgery, we conduct these within a few days, providing accommodation and food to those who require surgery. As many people travel far and wide to attend our eye camps, we also offer accommodation and support to them as well as their families who accompanied them. We also have a dedicated eye hospital in Pakistan where we provide high-quality specialist support for free, saving and restoring sight for hundreds of people each day.

Water for Life

Water for Life

Water for Life
Water for Life

Al Mustafa Welfare Trust is providing clean water to some of the most impoverished communities worldwide, offering long-term solutions. We’re building wells and water systems and helping communities tackle poverty, thirst and hunger. This includes the following; Small water wells, Electric water wells, Agricultural Water wells, Community Water wells, Water purification plant and Solar water wells

Education - Hifz Programme

Education - Hifz Programme

Education - Hifz Programme
Education - Hifz Programme

Learning the teachings of the Qur’an is a vital component of the Islamic faith. But despite this, thousands of vulnerable children and orphans across the world are deprived of their right to an education. In addition, many of these children must begin to earn a living and contribute to their family when they are still very young. We are committed to empowering children from underprivileged families and offering them a Qur’anic education through our Hifz Sponsorship Programme. This provides them with the opportunity to read and understand the Holy Qur’an, as well as providing a rudimentary secular education. Our Hifz sponsorship programme provide children with food, shelter and healthcare thanks to the generous contributions of our donors.

Orphan Sponsership

Orphan Sponsership

Orphan Sponsership
Orphan Sponsership

Our orphan sponsorship program maintains a carefully developed approach to supporting orphans through every step of their growth and helping them overcome the hardships of their past. We will allocate a child for orphan sponsorship based on their circumstances and priority criteria. Our donors receive full details and pictures of the orphan they are sponsoring. You can extend your sponsorship each year and will be notified when your first year comes to an end. You will be provided with regular report updates on the sponsored child’s health, education and personal well-being status. Some of our orphans also love to write letters to their donors! e provide a high-quality education to all orphans we support, with the aim of encouraging each child to achieve their dreams and break cycles of poverty. They attend some of the best schools in their locality, with expert teaches and quality equipment and books. Education is the cornerstone of our Orphan Project. The welfare and wellbeing of these children is always at the core of everything we do. We work to ensure every child we help grows up happy, healthy and well cared for. When care for an orphan with us, your support provides that child with all they need to flourish and grow such as healthcare, a quality education, food and clothing.

Freedom Campaign

Freedom Campaign

Freedom Campaign
Freedom Campaign

A future free from slavery. 24.9 million people are in forced labour around the world, a form of modern slavery. 1 in 4 victims of modern slavery are children. Over 16 million people are exploited in private sector work such as construction, bricklaying, agriculture or domestic work. Women and girls are disproportionately affected and at extreme risk of sexual exploitation and trafficking. For those living in poverty, a sudden need for funds such as an emergency medical bill or a natural disaster destroying their home, forces them to borrow money they don’t have. They are tricked into working as bricklayers, earning as little as £1 a day. Most of the money they earn goes to pay off their loan. As their debtor “pays” them very little, it means their debt continues to trap their family for generations. They see no future, no opportunities and no freedom. But it doesn’t need to be this way. We can help pay off their debts and give them a future free from slavery. HOW WE FREE PEOPLE FROM BONDED LABOUR ? Step 1 : We receive your donations to free a family from debt Step 2: We release funds to our local team who have already identified vunerable families Step 3: Our team travel to the area and facilitate a meeting between the family and kiln owner, where the loan is paid off and the family is finally free after generations of enslavement Step 4: We send you photos and messages from the family you helped free

Emergency and Disaster relief

Emergency and Disaster relief

Emergency and Disaster relief
Emergency and Disaster relief

Disaster can strike anytime, anywhere. It can cost lives and ruin entire societies. Natural disasters affect around 160 million people worldwide, and around 2 billion people live in conflict-struck areas. In times of crisis and disaster, Al Mustafa is able to provide fast, effective emergency aid; food, water and healthcare to those affected.

Multipurpose tents

Multipurpose tents

NRS Relief FZCO

Multipurpose tents
Multipurpose tents
NRS Relief FZCO

Legend 33 / 45 LegendMEDI Huggy Pro - HPT 24 / 48 / 72 Huggy 24 / 42 / 72 Dispensary tent UN5x7EF

Mobile Storage Units (MSU)

Mobile Storage Units (MSU)

NRS Relief FZCO

Mobile Storage Units (MSU)
Mobile Storage Units (MSU)
NRS Relief FZCO

Rex Hall MSU 6.5 x 8 / 10 x 24 / 10 x 32 m

Inflatable tent

Inflatable tent

NRS Relief FZCO

Inflatable tent
Inflatable tent
NRS Relief FZCO

LegendAir - HPT Inflatable tent 72

Core Relief Items

Core Relief Items

NRS Relief FZCO

Core Relief Items
Core Relief Items
NRS Relief FZCO

Coverage Kit Woven Flexible Tarpaulin Reinforced Plastic Tarpaulin Viva Stove Aquatainer 10L / 20L Synthetic / Multipurpose Sleeping Mat Viva Thermal Sleeping Mat Pura Water Bucket Jerry Bucket Blankets - Low / Medium / High

Health Insurance

Health Insurance

AMBRELIA

Health Insurance
Health Insurance
AMBRELIA

AMBRELIA advices NGOs to cover their local & international staff : Health, Assistance & Evacuation insurances, anywhere in the world.

Crisis management

Crisis management

AMBRELIA

Crisis management
Crisis management
AMBRELIA

AMBRELIA advices and provides Crisis management insurance and services for NGOs, for any location in the world.

SP180 Bucket Filter Kit

SP180 Bucket Filter Kit

SP180 Bucket Filter Kit
SP180 Bucket Filter Kit

The Sawyer 0.1 absolute micron filter attaches to a 20-liter bucket, flows with gravity at 1 liter per minute, and removes 99.99999% of harmful bacteria from any fresh water source.

SP134D International Tap Filter

SP134D International Tap Filter

SP134D International Tap Filter
SP134D International Tap Filter

The Sawyer Tap filter attaches to most common sized taps, filters 500 gallons per day, and removes 99.99999% of harmful bacteria from untreated tap water. The hollow fiber membrane is 0.1 microns absolute.

Essential Medicines

Essential Medicines

IDA Foundation

Essential Medicines
Essential Medicines
IDA Foundation

Essential medicines are the products that serve the basic health needs of the population. IDA’s quality-assured branded and generic product range is modelled on the WHO Essential Medicines List (EML). Health categories include: - HIV/AIDS - TB - Malaria - Non-Communicable Diseases (e.g. Oncology) - Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Newborn Health - Neglected Tropical Diseases

Emergency response goods (incl. medical kits, bulk and medical supplies)

Emergency response goods (incl. medical kits, bulk and medical supplies)

IDA Foundation

Emergency response goods (incl. medical kits, bulk and medical supplies)
Emergency response goods (incl. medical kits, bulk and medical supplies)
IDA Foundation

In addition to our standard range of essential medicines, IDA supplies health organisations (WHO, UN, NGO's, MOH, etc) with key medical / emergency health response goods. Essential kits (IEHK, cholera, ped-sam, and custom-made kits) and bulk items, medical equipment, laboratory instruments, and diagnostics tests are necessary to provide quality care and improve patient health. IDA’s range of medical supplies is carefully chosen and frequently updated to reflect the changing needs of our customers.

Haguhall standard MSU

Haguhall standard MSU

Hallgruppen AS

Haguhall standard MSU
Haguhall standard MSU
Hallgruppen AS

HaguHall Mobile Storage Unit is designed to withstand heavy wind and snow loads. Sizes 6,5×8m, 10×24m and 10×32m are in stock for immediate shipping from both Europe and Asia. HaguHall MSU is specially designed for quick assembly, made of aluminium profiles and durable PVC-coated fabric, which has a low shipping volume. HaguHall can also be a part of a flexible solution for different uses and are available in sizes from 3 m to 100 m in width and without length limits. All HaguHalls come with an assembly guide for quick assembly.

HaguHall Sandwich Cladded MSU

HaguHall Sandwich Cladded MSU

Hallgruppen AS

HaguHall Sandwich Cladded MSU
HaguHall Sandwich Cladded MSU
Hallgruppen AS

HaguHall semi-permanent structure with sandwich cladding are available in 10m width and the desired length. There are several types and thicknesses of sandwich cladding available and the panels can be branded with logos. To erect the structure there is no need for crane or lift. The HaguHall sandwich cladded MSU comes with many types of accessories to meet the need of your project. Examples are fire alarm, complete PV-system, different floorings and internal partitions walls.

HaguHall Steel Cladded MSU

HaguHall Steel Cladded MSU

Hallgruppen AS

HaguHall Steel Cladded MSU
HaguHall Steel Cladded MSU
Hallgruppen AS

HaguHall semi-permanent structure with steel sheet cladding comes with several types of sheets and colours and that also be branded with text or logo. Steel sheet cladding is a good option for warehouses that needs to be protected from burglary. HaguHall Steel Cladded MSU can be delivered with a long range of accessories, such as PV-system, sky lights, fire alarm and more.

Haguhall TCU

Haguhall TCU

Hallgruppen AS

Haguhall TCU
Haguhall TCU
Hallgruppen AS

HaguHall TCU are flexible and insulated buildings with a greater range of benefits compared to other insulated buildings. Our insulated buildings are easy to transport and have a short build time. They can be easily dismantled and moved, and are a great option for temporary storage needs as well as being environmentally friendly.

Quick Deploy Tents for multiple use

Quick Deploy Tents for multiple use

Hallgruppen AS

Quick Deploy Tents for multiple use
Quick Deploy Tents for multiple use
Hallgruppen AS

Portable heavy duty quick up tents in several sizes. Our Quick up tent include a smart pop-up frame which is delivered folded without any loose parts and can be stored in an accompanying wheeled bag. When it’s time to set up the tent, this can be achieved in just a few minutes with the easy to use pop up function. This creates a very flexible design that can be used in a wide variety of contexts, for example – screening at the fair, medical tents or for a worker who needs protection from the elements during a project. It is also possible to print your own message or design on the tent’s various surfaces, which makes Quick up tents ideal for advertising. Quick up tents can display a logo, photo or graphic added using the latest print technology on the market. Versatile and secure tents Both roofs and walls of our Quick up tents are waterproof. The fabric is also flame retardant and made of durable 600D polyester with taped seams, and can be used time and again. The tent’s legs a s legs are adjustable and offer a ceiling height of 2.1 m. Below you can find several different sizes of Quick up tents. We also stock a range of different coloured designs, enabling you to pick the tent that suits you. Quick up tents are delivered in two types of frames: EXTREME: 50x50mm hexagonal profile with 1.8mm wall thickness PRO: 40x40mm square profile with 1.8mm wall thickness 3×3 m, 3×6 m, 4×4 m, 4×8 m are in stock in white, grey, sand, blue and black. Other colours are available to order.

Complete PV-system

Complete PV-system

Hallgruppen AS

Complete PV-system
Complete PV-system
Hallgruppen AS

Hallgruppen supplies plug and play, complete PV-system as accessory for all our structures.

WiikHall Mobile Storage Tents

WiikHall Mobile Storage Tents

O.B. Wiik AS

WiikHall Mobile Storage Tents
WiikHall Mobile Storage Tents
O.B. Wiik AS

O. B. Wiik is the producer and supplier of the original WiikHall Mobile Storage Tent used for Storage of Food and Non-Food Items, Workshops, Dining Halls and as School Tents. The Company also supplies Flooring system / Lighting System / Insulation System / Ventilation System / Chairs and Tables. O. B. Wiik holds Long Term Agreements with several UN organizations.

Oasis Water Purification Tablets

Oasis Water Purification Tablets

Hydrachem Limited

Oasis Water Purification Tablets
Oasis Water Purification Tablets
Hydrachem Limited

Our Oasis water purification tablets are used by the world’s leading aid agencies, NGOs, Health Ministries and Defence Forces. Our tablets are certified to NSF Standard 60. The ingredients are US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved and the tablets are Halal and Kosher certified.

Global Logistics & Warehousing

Global Logistics & Warehousing

Priority Worldwide

Global Logistics & Warehousing
Global Logistics & Warehousing
Priority Worldwide

Global logistics & warehousing solutions

Global Freight Forwarding

Global Freight Forwarding

Priority Worldwide

Global Freight Forwarding
Global Freight Forwarding
Priority Worldwide

Global Air, Ocean & overland freight services

Composite LPG Cylinders

Composite LPG Cylinders

Hexagon Ragasco

Composite LPG Cylinders
Composite LPG Cylinders
Hexagon Ragasco

Safer, lighter cylinders for LPG made from rust-free composite materials in Norway. We have an industry-leading safety record, certifications in close to 100 countries and 20 + millions of cylinders sold worldwide.

Emergency Relief Shelter

Emergency Relief Shelter

Suscons UK Ltd (Emergency Relief Shelter)

Emergency Relief Shelter
Emergency Relief Shelter
Suscons UK Ltd (Emergency Relief Shelter)

Suscons Emergency Relief Shelter (ERS) is made of 100% recycled UPVC. The design meets UNCHR specification for a family of four. The ERS and be rapidly assembled and de-assembled by unskilled labour with in 2 hours. Provides safe, secure and healthier accommodation. U-Value of 0.8% Withstands wind force of 75kmh Innovated insulation Comes as a flat pack modular panels that can be extended to meet larger families Has a 10 year warranty Can be recycled 350 times without the structure being compromised. The internal space of 3.5m x 4.0m

BabyLife BLF-2001G Infant incubator

BabyLife BLF-2001G Infant incubator

MEDICOR Zrt. Hungary

BabyLife BLF-2001G Infant incubator
BabyLife BLF-2001G Infant incubator
MEDICOR Zrt. Hungary

Infant incubator - www.medicor.eu

BabyLife BLR-2100A Warming and Resuscitation Table

BabyLife BLR-2100A Warming and Resuscitation Table

MEDICOR Zrt. Hungary

BabyLife BLR-2100A Warming and Resuscitation Table
BabyLife BLR-2100A Warming and Resuscitation Table
MEDICOR Zrt. Hungary

Warming and Resuscitation Table / Radiant Warmer - www.medicor.hu

PAUL

PAUL

ADI - Academy of Dentistry International

PAUL
PAUL
ADI - Academy of Dentistry International

PAUL is a Portable Aqua Unit for Life-saving filtering bacteria and viruses up to 99,99999%. It delivers up to 1300 liters of safe water per day.

QuenchSea

QuenchSea

ADI - Academy of Dentistry International

QuenchSea
QuenchSea
ADI - Academy of Dentistry International

QuenchSea is a low-cost, portable and handheld seawater desalination devices for travelers, emergency use and for humanitarian relief.

Food kit

Food kit

SALAS International Group S.A

Food kit
Food kit
SALAS International Group S.A

Our company’s specialist nutritionists can advise you on the contents of food kits. We can create special packages for a specific number of people, specific days and depending on whether there is access to kitchen facilities or not.

Hygiene kit

Hygiene kit

SALAS International Group S.A

Hygiene kit
Hygiene kit
SALAS International Group S.A

We develop personalized hygiene kits to be distributed to those in need. Our personal hygiene kits were developed for several days of individual use for people without home. Adapted to UN specifications.

Shelter kit

Shelter kit

SALAS International Group S.A

Shelter kit
Shelter kit
SALAS International Group S.A

we provide temporary shelter solutions to help protect and develop affected communities, always in line with United Nations and Humanitarian Aid Agency standards

Education kit

Education kit

SALAS International Group S.A

Education kit
Education kit
SALAS International Group S.A

Appropriate learning supplies for children and adolescents help to fulfill their right to education and equip them for the future

Organised By :
INDEX Conferences & Exhibitions Org. Est.
INDEX Conferences & Exhibitions Org. Est.

COPYRIGHT © 2023. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Shortage of ‘Human Resources for Health’ in Developing Countries

Supported by Noor Dubai

Subtitle:

The shortage of health workers in developing countries may undermine the attainment of the Sustainable development goals, universal health coverage and undermine control of epidemics/pandemics. So how do we improve the number and quality of health workers in developing countries?

Context:

The World Health Organization in its 2006 World Health Report reported that over 4 million more health workers are needed globally to prevent crisis in the health sector. Out of which Africa alone needs 1.5 million workers. Thus 36 of the 57 countries in the continent have critical shortages of human resources for health.

Globally all countries are challenged by worker shortage, skill mix imbalance, maldistribution, negative work environment, and weak knowledge base. However, it is worse in the poorest countries mostly of Africa and Asia where the workforce is under assault by HIV/AIDS, epidemics, out-migration, poor working environment, demotivation, undertraining and inadequate investment.

The critical shortage of health workers in developing world especially Africa is a major impediment to achievement of health/developmental goals, and could hinder the ability to control epidemics and pandemic outbreaks. In many developing countries this shortage not only affects provision of life saving interventions like childhood immunization, maternal services and prevention/treatment of the major infectious diseases –HIV, Malaria and Tuberculosis; but also hampers response to serious epidemics and pandemics like Ebola, Hemorrhagic fevers, Yellow fever and Covid-19. In addition to this the increasing aging population and change of life style in these developing countries results in rising burden of chronic diseases and non-communicable diseases like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cancers etc needing more well trained health personnel’s and facilities.

This shortage is made worse within these countries by a vicious cycle of outbreaks of epidemics that further deplete the workforce and emigration of health workers to other parts of the world. The gross mal-distribution of the workers where by majority of health workers are in the urban areas but most of the population lives in rural areas in these countries, aggravates the situation. Furthermore the opportunities for continuous medical education and self-development is generally limited.

Thus, this human resource for health crisis in the developing countries especially Africa is not only about the quantity of the health workers and their distribution but also their quality. Due to weak educational systems and training facilities, occasioned by poor investment, health workers in many of these countries are not only inadequately trained but also lack the continuous medical education to handle emerging life threatening emergencies and chronic health conditions.

The crisis is partly caused by underfunding from governments due to competing developmental demands with very weak economies. This results in fewer ill-equipped training institutions, undertraining, under-recruitment, lack of facilities, demotivation, brain drain etc. The pull of higher salaries in industrialized countries and the push of poor working conditions at home along with political and social strife drive thousands of health workers to jobs abroad each year. This ever increasing brain drain from these poor weak countries to richer nations of the West and Middle East compound an already bad situation.

Challenge statement:

The SDG goal 3 (Ensuring health living and promoting wellbeing for all for all ages), the universal health coverage and ability to withstand epidemics and pandemics like Covid-19 cannot be achieved in many countries if the human resources for health crisis in these countries is not tackled.

So how can we address this gross shortage of health workers in developing countries especially Africa in terms of not only the number of the health workers, but their distribution and their expertise (knowledge and skills?). What innovative and technological approach can be applied to address this big challenge?

The digital literacy divide between e-learners: how to narrow the gaps?

Supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

Title: The digital literacy divide between e-learners: how to narrow the gaps?

Concept: In a world that everyone is using the digital sphere to communicate and learn, there is still a gap between the e-learners as some have high digital literacy while many still have more limited literacy.

MSF’s e-Learning team (TEMO) aims at reaching 95% of the organization’s staff and not only 25% with high digital literacy, access to computers, access to internet, etc.

Challenge: In this scenario and in order for all staff to have access to distance learning and eLearning Solutions like Tembo can offer, what are proposals and ideas to promote digital literacy for the e-learners to narrow the gaps?

Overcoming Challenges to the Inclusion of Beneficiaries with Disabilities in Emergencies

Supported by International Humanitarian City

Keywords: Emergency Preparedness & Response; Disabilities

Introduction:
IHC for the 2020 Humanitarian Hackathon decided to focus the attention on a group of vulnerable populations affected by Disabilities. The purpose of this challenge is to stimulate people to think outside the box and come up with possible innovative tools that the humanitarian community can offer to people exposed to emergencies and having different kinds of disabilities. In particular, mobility and communication/ability to attract attention are two crucial factors when it comes to the immediate aftermath of a disaster as well as the short and long-term living situation the affected disabled population may find themselves in. The purpose is to integrate and enrich the humanitarian prepositioned stocks with appropriated equipment and aid and therefore strengthen the emergency preparedness and have tools ready for their use in the response phase. The aim is to involve the Humanitarian Hackathon 2020 participants and transform their ideas in humanitarian aid for the benefit of the disabled. Looking at the list of the humanitarian relief items stocked within various humanitarian hubs it appears that no specific items are kept in stock specifically to support the differently-abled living in areas affected by disasters.

Scenarios:
The most frequent emergency scenarios are due to natural disasters such as floods, Tsunamis, Earthquake, cyclones, volcano eruptions, fire-forest etc…in addition to conflict areas. Hackathon participants are invited to think about the disabled population in those scenarios, and particularly, how the disabled can attract rescue teams or humanitarian workers providing assistance. Options for innovative solutions may focus on preventive measures, especially for the populations most exposed to risks and living in prone and hazard areas and subject to frequent natural disasters. Other innovative solutions may focus more on the immediate response following disasters when the affected population is forced to vacate their accommodation, which is appropriately equipped for their disability and moved into newer and less familiar areas. How can we help them?

Below are some tips for the various potential disabilities.

Suggestions:

  • Overall, items that could be useful to most disability categories could be:
  • A Tools to attract attention (which can be distributed to all vulnerable people affected)
  • A disability-friendly app
  • Stool bags compatible with a foldable wheelchair toilet seat
  • Clear masks for lip-reading for the rescue teams
Improving Small Farmers Access to Knowledge About Crop Production Techniques through E-Agriculture

Supported by International Humanitarian City

In several humanitarian response areas, are blessed with diverse climatic conditions for almost all crops (cereal, fruit and vegetable crops), besides ample opportunity to grow high value vegetables as off season in certain zones and pristine climatic niches as well production of certain fruits and vegetables seedling in low, high and walk in tunnels.

Moreover, there is also immense scope of growing short duration vegetable in three successive seasons i.e. summer, winter and autumn such as tomato, broccoli and potato. The small farmers in general are neither aware of the opportunities of effective utilization of their physical , financial and human resources nor know the ways and means to utilize their available resources. Thus they follow the hit and trial rules to grow crops which often incur heavy losses to them.

DISTANCE LEARNING CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN A POST COVID-19 WORLD

Supported by Dubai Cares

COVID-19 exacerbated pre-existing gaps in Developing Countries, which were already strained, underserved and faced significant tech capacity limitations, causing serious learning disruptions.

Context

The world has been brought to a standstill by the impact of COVID-19. Airports, restaurants, movie theaters and other elements of the social environment have been disrupted by this virus’ contagion. While watching movies and dining in public are not essential to our lives, work and education are.

Education systems and learning have been heavily disrupted by COVID-19. At its apex, school closures reached over 180 countries. Currently, according to the UNESCO Education Impact Tracker, there are still 34 country wide school closures and over half a billion affected child learners. “The medium and long-term implications of the learning crisis [has] forced 1.6 billion learners worldwide out of the classroom” (UNESCO). This is especially true for education in developing countries, which were already facing poor economic conditions while also coping with low literacy, numeracy, enrollment and proficiency.

In July, UNESCO estimated “that about 24 million learners, from pre-primary to university level, are at risk of not returning to school in 2020 following the education disruption due to COVID-19. Almost half of them are found in South and West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. University students are affected the most, due to the costs related to their studies. Pre-primary education is the second most affected while at primary and secondary level 10.9 million students are at risk, 5.2 million of whom are girls.”

As closures forced students and parents home, the need for connectivity and hardware arose. “Today half of the world’s population (3.6 billion people) still lack an internet connection.” Many countries with low economic development and lack of connectivity, adapted via national broadcasts over TV and Radio, “yet the benefits of internet-based solutions vis-à-vis radio and TV solutions are considerable: connected digital technologies allow for the possibility of two-way communication, real-time interaction, gamified learning, and much more. Investments poured into efforts to make digital tools the principal hubs of learning, rather than brick-and-mortar school sand classrooms” (UNESCO).

“According to UN estimates, nearly 500 million students from pre-primary to upper secondary school did not have any access to any remote learning. Three quarters of these students lived in the poorest households or rural areas. More nuanced data showed finer disparities that traced and functioned to accentuate existing social, economic, gender and geographic fault lines. Analysis from Brookings shows that at the height of school closures, around 90 percent of high-income countries were providing some form of online remote learning, but only 25 per cent of low-income countries were doing the same” (UNESCO).

 

One of the flagship innovations responding to this at a global level is GIGA, an initiative launched by UNICEF and ITU in September 2019 to connect every school to the Internet and every young person to information, opportunity and choice. GIGA is supporting the immediate response to COVID-19, as well as looking at how connectivity can create stronger infrastructures of hope and opportunity in the “time after COVID.” The main objective of GIGA is to connect 2 million schools and 500 million children by 2025 and 5 million schools and 1 billion children by 2030, via funding of local infrastructure entrepreneurs and open source digital public goods.

Lastly, the long term effects of diminished education is worth considering, as “the World Bank has projected the financial cost of this learning loss to be as high as USD $10 trillion or 10% of global gross domestic product” (UNESCO). The human and economic impact of stunted education will ripple through the next decade as less educated students, workers and citizens will enter a world that is simultaneously regressing (climate change) and rapidly evolving (technology). Those that are already economically disadvantaged are at greater risk of getting left behind even more.

Challenge Statement:

As discussed above, distance learning is not always feasible due to low prevalence of connectivity and hardware in developing nations and economies, where the population is less able to purchase cell phones and laptops, while the public and private sectors are less likely to build connectivity infrastructure such as cell towers and Wi-Fi access points.

  • How can distance learning solutions be delivered to low income / remote / rural areas with low hardware saturation and lack of internet access so as not to exclude them from education services and systems they were already underserved by?
  • Think of innovative*, feasible and scalable solutions for learning disruption in developing countries

Things to keep in mind for solution design and review criteria:

  • Developing contexts often have limited access to transportation, clean water and sanitation
  • *Innovation does not necessarily mean very high tech and revolutionary. Sometimes the most innovative thing is using or reformulating something basic and abundant in a new and low cost way
  • Reflect on the sustainability of the design, as many solutions end up collecting dust after initial investment and intervention
  • Think through the replicability and scalability of the solution for global reach in similar environments
  • Contemplate potential cross-sectorial collaboration (telecom, government, and academia)
  • Consider the operational part of it: how is it going to work, under what umbrella, with what organizational or collaborative structure
  • Deliberate on the Who and How of funding your solution
Water Scarcity and Accessibility to Clean Water

Supported by UAE Water Aid

The UAE Water Aid Foundation, Suqia, under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, works diligently to provide clean and safe drinking water to communities in dire need and that lack basic access to water. Thus, Suqia contributes directly to Goal 6, Clean Water & Sanitation, of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It also has important contributions to goals 1 (no poverty), 3 (good health and well-being), 4 (quality education), 5 (gender equality) and 17 (partnerships for the goals).

Access to clean and safe water remains one of the most critical challenges faced by many around the world. While governments and societies work together to provide solutions to communities in need, the number of those who lack access to basic drinking water services continues to increase till date. According to recent statistics, the figure has reached a staggering 785 million in 2019. In many communities, people spend up to 6 hours each day collecting water. Not only does walking long distances while carrying 20 liters of water cause severe health issues, but it also keeps children out of school and wastes time that families could be using to earn an income.

Utilizing various solutions including artesian wells, water purification stations, water filters, water distribution networks and others, we were able to provide clean drinking water for more than 13 million people in 36 countries around the world.

The main challenge is in providing communities that need it the most. Often these communities are in remote locations difficult to get to and may be overseen in search of the places that require access to clean drinking water.

Although, the water infrastructure is not available, tele-communication networks are often available.

How can we utilize the tele-communication networks or mobile applications to support our goal of reaching out to communities in need? We are looking for a solution that would be easy to use where individuals can pin-point locations globally that face water shortage and lack easy access to clean drinking water. The solution would ideally identify the type of need in the area, the water quality, the approximate number of people living in the area, etc ..