Date: Nov 29, 2013 Source: bizjournals (
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Four startups from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health introduced inventive ideas for reducing public health issues at a recent "Solving Public Health Problems Through Innovation" conference.
These four companies - Counter Tools, Sanitation Creations, Aquagenx and Biodeptronix - are tackling issues like tobacco control, sanitation, water quality and air pollution, both locally and globally.
The Triangle is known for its startups, both tech and biotech, but there is also a growing number of socially minded entrepreneurs, which were highlighted at the conference.
As the world population continues to expand, issues like access to clean water, sanitation and the enormous health care costs associated with tobacco use will be ever more pressing. Executives from these companies say and are quick to add that their ideas will help put a dent in those problems.
Listed are snippets from each company:
Aquagenx: Commercialized the Compartment Bag Test (CBT), a low-cost, portable, fully contained water quality testing system designed to test for microbial contaminants in drinking water. Nearly 1 billion people worldwide currently lack consistent access to safe (clean) drinking water, resulting in 2 million preventable deaths annually and a massive global health cost burden. Testing for fecal water contamination is the first step to tacking this global problem.
Biodeptronix: Quantify the toxicity of the air and can be used to help understand what is driving airborne toxicity and allowing us to make effective control strategies to clean the air in our dirtiest cities.
Counter Tools: Uses mapping to determine the best policy and strategies to reduce smoking, particularly in children.
Sanitation Creations: Created the Dungaroo, a waterless, odorless toilet meant for anywhere that water is not option. Company is tackling sanitation domestically in boats, RV's, and internationally as a sanitation solution.
Jason deBruyn covers Health Care, Higher Education, Nonprofits and Sports Business. Follow him on Twitter @jasondebruyn.
