Private-sector Ethiopian healthcare research and development company Simbona Africa has been awarded a $15 000 Covid-19 response grant from Kenyan health innovation impact investor Villgro Kenya. This was in support of a UVC Room Steriliser developed by the Ethiopian company. Simbona Africa is focused on the design, innovation, development and production of medical equipment and health information and communications technology systems. The company is based in the city of Jimma, in the Oromia region (equivalent to a state or province), south west of Addis Ababa.

Ultraviolet (UV) light is subdivided into three wavelength bands, known as UVA, UVB and UVC. In nature, UVC radiation from the Sun is absorbed by the atmosphere’s ozone layer. UVC is also the band that is the most dangerous to life. Consequently, it can be used to kill micro-organisms, pathogens and all known viruses found on surfaces in a room.

Simbona Africa’s UVC Room Steriliser makes use of 8-Watt UV lamps. It is intended for use in hospital rooms and wards, to sterilise medical equipment. The room has to be empty of people before the equipment is switched on. It is operated for five to ten minutes before anyone is allowed to re-enter the room. To ensure safe operation, the company provides training to hospital staff and has produced an operating manual. UVC equipment does not have to undergo clinical trials.

“We welcome Villgro Kenya’s financial support as it will help bridge the demand gap we are currently facing,” said Simbona Africa founder and biomedical engineer Habtamu Abafoge. “The partnership will also be a key in unlocking networks in the [Ethiopian] Ministry of Innovation and Technology and the Ministry of Health due to its status as a regional impact investor for innovations. We have plans to scale to East Africa due to regional demand which has been brought by the pandemic.”

Simbona Africa has so far produced 14 of its UVC Room Sterilisers, most of which have been sold to the Ethiopian Ministry of Health. It hopes to raise this figure to a minimum of 40 units, to assist in the containment of the disease in Ethiopia. The company further hopes to export the equipment to other East African countries. The grant from Villgro Kenya will be used to scale up production and to develop contacts with the appropriate authorities across the region.

“Locally produced medical devices have been out of the scope for Ethiopia and Simbona has paved the way for the government to adopt standards for WHO [World Health Organisation] Class II Medical Devices,” he pointed out. “One such case is when the International Ethiopian Standard Agency adopted the International Electrotechnical Commission Standards to give approval certificates for the phototherapy units and baby warmers. The UVC Room Steriliser went through the Ethiopian Radiation Protection Authority.”

Since it announced the development and approval of its UVC Room Steriliser, the company has been inundated with enquiries from hotels, businesses, schools and even homes seeking to acquire the equipment. Being based in Jimma has proved to be a “geographical challenge”, reported Abafoge. But the company is talking with medical distributors and the Ministry of Health to assist with the delivery of the devices. 

“We are seeing exciting new innovations and strong talent flowing from Ethiopia, we are keen to support the growth of this team and sector in the country,” highlighted Villgro Kenya co-founder Rob Beyer.