D-Lab Development addresses issues of technological improvements at the micro level for developing countries—in particular, how the quality of life of low-income households can be improved by adaptation of low cost and sustainable technologies. Discussion of development issues as well as project implementation challenges are addressed through lectures, case studies, guest speakers and laboratory exercises. Students form project teams to partner with mostly local level organizations in developing countries, and formulate plans for an IAP site visit. (Previous field sites include Ghana, Brazil, Honduras and India.) Project team meetings focus on developing specific projects and include cultural, social, political, environmental and economic overviews of the countries and localities to be visited as well as an introduction to the local languages.

Just 2 years later, Howlett is interviewed again. It is interesting to note how much understanding of the epidemic has grown in the 2 years since his first interview. Research and reporting is increasing. Howlett says that Tanzania has reported 2 500 cases thus far to WHO.

Focus is being placed on Public Education measures. It is beginning to be understood, to use metaphors, that AIDs cases represent just the tip of the iceberg for a disease that has an incubation time as long as 7-8 years, or longer. The epidemic is spreading from the main concentration of cases in urban centres, where there are high levels of promiscuity. Such areas with prostitution, travellers, mobile populations create “whirlpools” of infection and may have rates of infection in these high risk population groups more than 70%. The infection spreads from these urban nodes to rural areas, spreading in “ripples”, as travellers return home to their families.

A highly specific blood test has been developed to ensure safer blood supplies, although, Howlett explains, this is not a major transmission route in Africa.

Howlett says that the difference between the AIDs epidemic in Europe and Africa is largely cultural. In the West, he says, there is less promiscuity. In Africa, promiscuity is more tolerated, especially in “travelling” communities of truck-drivers and businessmen. Specific communities of sexual workers have become established in all urban centres. In a cycle of poverty, it may be the only choice available to many women. These women, Howlett explains, act as repositories, and the visiting men are the vectors spreading the disease along transportation routes and to their homes, in rural settings.

Howlett and his wife, Juliet, have become increasingly engaged in Public Education – holding talks in Public Meetings, developing education materials, reaching out to social leaders … However, he says that providing information is not enough to change behaviour – people have to understand the information and its implications for their lives and the lives of their family members.. Be responsible. Tests are available – get tested. Be celibate if you are HIV positive, or, at least, use a condom. All are equal before AIDs, he says. Nearly 100% of patients with AIDs die.

The Norman Miller Archive is a multimedia collection of photos, scholarly articles, film, books, and unpublished field notes gathered by Norman Miller (1933-Present), one of the first American field workers who spent long periods of time in remote regions of Kenya and Tanzania. It covers a variety of topics, including rural local government, decolonialism, environmental conservation, the role of women in rural societies, HIV/AIDS, and Witchcraft.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL), a malignancy of immune B cells, is the most common childhood cancer in sub-Saharan Africa eBL is curable when it's identified early, but it's rapidly fatal without treatment Children in sub-Saharan Africa are over 50 times more likely to develop eBL than children living anywhere else in the world Unfortunately, few studies have examined the risk factors associated with eBL To address that gap, researchers conducted a study of eBL in children in three countries in East Africa They analyzed the relationship between eBL and infections, environmental, and genetic risk factors and focused their conclusions on results observed in at least two countries to minimize false-positives Risk of eBL was associated with low socio-economic status inpatient malaria treatment and living in areas targeted for malaria suppression In addition to exploring eBL risk factors, this study also demonstrates the potential to study cancer risk in East Africa and to detect, treat, or prevent e.."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

According to the United States Agency for International Development, 20 million people in developing countries require wheelchairs, and the United Nations Development Programme estimates below 1% of their need is being met in Africa by local production. Wheelchair Design in Developing Countries (WDDC) gives students the chance to better the lives of others by improving wheelchairs and tricycles made in the developing world. Lectures will focus on understanding local factors, such as operating environments, social stigmas against the disabled, and manufacturing constraints, and then applying sound scientific/engineering knowledge to develop appropriate technical solutions. Multidisciplinary student teams will conduct term-long projects on topics such as hardware design, manufacturing optimization, biomechanics modeling, and business plan development. Theory will further be connected to real-world implementation during guest lectures by MIT faculty, Third-World community partners, and U.S. wheelchair organizations.
This class is made possible by an MIT Alumni Sponsored Funding Opportunities grant with additional support from the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance, the MIT Public Service Center, and the MIT Edgerton Center; special thanks to CustomInk.com.