The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court Announces Solver Prize Recipient Following MIT Solve Challenge Finals
The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court today announced Faircap Clean Water as the recipient of the MIT Solve Innovating Together for Healthy Cities Prize, selected at the Solve Challenge Finals live pitch event in New York on Sunday. Solve, an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology advancing solutions from tech entrepreneurs to address the world’s most pressing problems, announced its 32 new ‘Solver’ teams at the event, the premier social impact pitch event during UN General Assembly week in New York, where innovators from all over the world pitched their ideas to a panel of judges.
Solve received nearly 1,400 solutions from over 100 countries to its four 2019 Global Challenges – more than US $1.5 million funding was available for the selected Solver teams with the most promising human-centered innovations. One of the challenges set this year was Healthy Cities. As part of a personal commitment to eliminating preventable diseases that affect the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, supported this challenge through the Innovating Together for Healthy Cities Prize.
Alex Amouyel, Executive Director of MIT Solve said: “We are inspired by the teams selected at Solve Challenge Finals as they tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the world today. Building and sustaining healthy urban environments is a major issue globally, and this year’s Innovating Together for Healthy Cities Prize has helped source a raft of incredibly promising solutions. We welcome the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court’s support in awarding innovation to drive change.”
Solutions that focused on preventing or managing infectious disease or vector-borne illness in cities or slums were eligible for the Innovating Together for Healthy Cities Prize. After being selected as a Solver during Solve Challenge Finals, Faircap Clean Water, led by Mauricio Cordova, was awarded this prize.
Commenting on the announcement Mauricio Cordova, Founder of Faircap said, “We are incredibly grateful for this prize and hugely appreciate His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi’s commitment to and support of collaborative innovation. Winning will help us facilitate the expansion of our product range as we strive to bring Faircap to millions of people.”
Faircap Clean Water has designed a set of water purification devices that address the fact that although health authorities recommend drinking a daily amount of more than 2 liters per day, half of the world’s population either lack access to improved water sources or can’t drink water straight from the tap. In response to this, bottled water consumption has skyrocketed. The Faircap Clean Water solution does not require additional energy or chemicals to make clean drinking water and they can be reused hundreds of times. They are also affordable (less than US$0.01 per liter) and practical to use. Ultimately, Faircap Clean Water’s tagline and ambition is to roll-out their devices and ensure ‘clean drinking water for all’.
By 2050, 68% of the world’s population are projected to live in cities, many of which are yet to be built[1]. Living in urban areas exposes residents to serious health risks due to overcrowding, lack of access to safe water and sanitation. The World Health Organization views urbanization as one of the key public health challenges for the 21st century[2]. Nine out of ten of the top causes of death globally – including diarrheal diseases, chronic respiratory disease, and traffic incidents – are affected by the way cities are planned, built and lived in.
Nassar Abdul Raouf Al Mubarak, Director, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court, Abu Dhabi, added: “Faircap Clean Water, the recipient of the Innovating for Healthy Cities Prize embodies the creativity needed to secure safe and healthy urban environments and make a significant social impact. This Prize aligns with a broader commitment to global health and poverty alleviation — everyone has a right to live a healthy and dignified life.
To catalyse real change, innovative and fresh thinking is required. Continuing this commitment, the biennial Reaching the Last Mile (RLM) Forum will convene global health leaders in Abu Dhabi this November to share insights and best practices on how to accelerate the pace and reach the last mile of disease elimination faster. ”
Abu Dhabi’s dedication to disease elimination builds on the foundations laid by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the United Arab Emirates. Since 2011, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, has personally committed US $250 million to global efforts to eliminate deadly and debilitating diseases.
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To find out more about MIT Solve and the Innovating Together for Healthy Cities Prize, please visit Solve’s website: https://solve.mit.edu/challenges/healthy-cities
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About MIT Solve:
MIT Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that advances lasting solutions from tech entrepreneurs to address the world’s most pressing problems. Solve issues four Global Challenges each year to find the most promising Solver teams who will drive transformational change. Solve then deploys its global community of private, public, and nonprofit leaders to form the partnerships these Solver teams need to scale their impact. This year, Solve selected 32 Solver teams out of nearly 1,400 applications from over 100 countries tackling four Global Challenges: (1) Circular Economy, (2) Community-Driven Innovation, (3) Early Childhood Development, and (4) Healthy Cities. Join the community at solve.mit.edu.