COVID-19

How 'frugal design' innovations have helped communities during COVID-19

Filipino student Marcus Chu lifts the lid of his 3D printer while working on printing frames for his face shields at his home in Manila, Philippines, April 1, 2020. Picture taken April 1, 2020. GIFFORD CHU/Handout via REUTERS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT - RC22WF947POS

Frugal design is the low cost and resourceful way to produce medical equipment for low-income areas. Image: Reuters

Theresa Mkandawire
Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Malawi
Rebecca Richards-Kortum
Professor of Bioengineering, Rice University
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Health care workers around the world turned to 3D-printed face shields in the early months of the pandemic
3D-printed face shields were an essential part of the early COVID-19 response. Image: ulia Jenjezwa, Rice 360° Institute for Global Health
A medical equipment ‘graveyard’ in Malawi.
Medical equipment was repurposed during COVID-19. Image: Rice 360° Institute for Global Health
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