Sanilab International

Nearly 75% of households in Latin America don't have access to hygiene facilities in times of coronavirus, being a critical aspect the lack of access to clean water. According to WHO, constant surveillance at a community level is required until 2022, to identify those infected with covid19. Our proposal provides a solution for rural communities, ethnic towns and isolated populations, by allowing the quick identification of infected people thus being able to take the necessary isolation measures. We provide an ecological sanitation system that includes ergonomic dry toilets and pedal-operated sinks, which guarantee rational water consumption and the elimination of infectious foci of pathogens (ARIs, ADDs, COVID19, Parasitic diseases). In addition, the state and operativity of the health system are permanently monitored in each community with our software, which will allow the generation of precise statistical information for better decision-making.

The health situation of indigenous people in due to introduced infectious-contagious diseases is already serious due to its high prevalence and their very poor health services. Covid19 would further aggravate this situation. According to the United Nations, access to water, sanitation and hygiene is a human right; however, billions of people continue to face enormous difficulties on a daily basis in accessing the most basic services. Approximately 1.8 billion people worldwide use a water source contaminated by faeces; Some 2.4 billion lack access to basic sanitation services, such as latrines and toilets, with a proportion of 3 to 10 people lacking access to safe drinking water services and 6 to 10 people lacking access to managed sanitation facilities correctly. Therefore, rational use of water is critical to face the pandemic.

Our solution consists in the implementation of an intelligent sanitary system at community level, which includes water purification, lighting and the ability to give biometric access to users, registering the frequency of use and body temperature. With the delivery of our sanitary units (which includes the dry ergonomic bathroom, foot pedal sink, a water extraction equipment), it will be possible to generate 60% savings in daily water consumption. Infectious foci that create infectious diseases are eliminated, reducing the number of living microorganisms and pathogens are destroyed. Likewise, our digital sanitary and epidemiological monitoring system through software allows operators and entities to permanently monitor the communities, through health and sanitary indicators, giving them analysis tools for correct decision-making. at budget level. On the other hand, we focus on technology transfer in order to develop the people's capacities for system management and handwashing culture for pandemic prevention.

We are currently improving the lives of 300 vulnerable residents of the periurban area of Pachacamac, Peru, by offering them our dry sanitation service. One of the central components of our project is the co-designing of the system, as we adapt and add components according to the specific needs of each community. We plan to extend the system to 480 people from Quiquijana and Pachacamac vulnerable communities in Peru. Subsequently, and with a more developed system, we will then focus on reaching remote and ethnic communities.

Our solution focuses on Health, Safety and Pandemics, as it focuses on both the prevention and monitoring of infectious diseases, by allowing clean water availability and a sustainable sanitation system which eliminates pathogens that could further extend the virus in vulnerable populations.Likewise, we ensure adequeate monitoring of the system, in order to obtain proper data for effective policy making. 

Our offer consists of an intelligent sanitary system at the community level using low-cost, eco-friendly products without requiring water usage for its maintenance, with a local sanitary monitoring system, ideal for areas with little access to water that differentiates it from other products. existing in the national market. Among the competitors we have the companies DISAL, ANCRO and ECOCENTURY who have no offer for the rental of portable chemical toilets and collection, transportation and commercialization of solid and liquid waste. For the maintenance of the equipment they require constant cleaning with chemical inputs, not necessarily healthy or eco-friendly with the environment, they depend on the use of water, which implies the transfer of the liquid element. For their part, the companies described above do not have a sanitary monitoring system. In this regard, a national offer for local health monitoring was not identified. At the international level, there is Mwater, a company dedicated to monitoring community health infrastructure worldwide, by executing mobile surveys with macro information in real time, reaching more than 158 countries. For its part, the UN offers global sanitation monitoring called Global Analysis and Assessment of Drinking Water and Sanitation (GLASS), in both cases the information is distributed at the macro level of the region or country. Peru's Ministry of Health collects and processes health information, but does not have a virtual platform that allows it to collect, process and distribute in real time for effective decision-making.

The system solution consists of
1) eco-friendly polyester resin house with lighting through a Solar Panel kit; that feeds all the sensors and contains:

 a) Water Extraction and Disinfection Equipment,

 b)  dry ecological toilet that has a temperature sensor, an ergonomic platform; and separate solids from liquids and neutralize feces for easy treatment; 

c) Foot pedal  Sink, with census of frequency of use d) wall-mounted urinal for men with temperature sensor e) accessories (neutralizer container and others).

2. Waste Collection and Degradation Module (CADR) which consists of storing the neutralized waste bags that come from the toilets every period of time and provides a low-cost treatment (without chemicals)

3. A designated local monitor visits the booths to collect and supervise the waste container to be taken to the CADR.

4. Health and epidemiological registration system, through a mobile application that makes it easier for health operators and our monitors to record and store data on the state of health units and developments
and epidemiological impact of each family. This information contains geographical location, unit status, range, water consumption, population size, user identification, frequency of use, detection of
Symptoms (temperature) which would issue alerts and send statistical data. This system is updated through visits by the health monitor and by families Through the use and maintenance of their sanitary modules. In the same way, the system allows us to record and contribute to health indicators with the information generated from  epidemiological and sanitary reports.

We have improved the lives of 300 users of the ecological sanitation system (dry toilets) and transformation of solid waste into liquid fertilizer (January 2016) in the Centro Poblado Quebrada Verde district of Pachacamac, under the auspices of CONCYTEC and IDIN M.I.T. (USA). Furthermore, our sanitary system was bought by ADRA Peru, for the district of Shita Alta in Lambayeque whose people were most affected by El Niño, for the amount of approximately $28000. Our dry baths have also been tested with 100 people from remote areas in the Vraem Region. 

The technology of dry baths with divergence of liquids and solids is used in the world. At the national level, there is X Runner, which provides dry toilets to rural communities with conversion to fertilizer, with the support of NGOs. Biosánita in Argentina, known for providing public dry toilets for events.

Main activities include the implementation of the intelligent sanitation system and the epidemiological monitoring system. Statistical data is generated and stored from said activities that allow health and epidemiological reports to be made with relevant indicators. The short-term results (1 year) would be the savings of up to 144 liters of water per day and 65,000 kg of waste processed annually. As well as the detection and medical attention of cases of diseases. In the Medium Term, we would be avoiding the salinization of 120m2 of soil caused by the use of silos, there would be reforestation of the area, reduction of IRAS, ERAS, parasitic diseases. The postural health of users would also be favored. In the long term, there will be an overall improvement in health indicators for vulnerable populations, which will translate into an increase in development levels.

The solution currently serves 300 beneficiaries in Pachacamac. In one year, we will extend the system to: 480 new beneficiaries, from two communities: Quiquijana and Pachacamac. In five years, we estimate to expand our sanitation and monitoring coverage to ten communities, equivalent to 2,400 people benefited.

1-year objectives (2 communities reached)

-Saving up to 52,560 liters of water per year, through our dry sanitation system with water extraction and purification equipment.
-65,000 kg of waste transformed into compost for forage through the CADR system.
-Increased attention to disease cases (IDAS, ERAS, parasitic)

5-year objectives (10 communities reached)
-Reduce diseases, such as IRAS and EDAS by 20% above the baseline, through more immediate and improved medical care, as well as improvements in hygienic conditions.
-Improvement of health and poverty indicators of communities in rural, peri-urban, remote communities.

The main barrier to the effective implementation of our project is financing, since a high initial investment is required to reach these remote communities.

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Raul Muñoz Sifuentes

CEO at SaniLab International SAC

Designer, entrepreneur and coordinator of various groups recognized worldwide.

Graduated from the "International Summit of Development Design in Africa" from the consortium led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ", specialization in" Management of Technological Innovation "University of Oviedo - Madrid (Spain) and graduate in design Industrial by the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP)

Founder and former president of the "Peruvian Network of Inventors", member of the Peruvian society of ergonomics (SOPERGO), member of the Latin American design association (ALADI-Peru), member of R&D Transport PUCP, member of the planning project before the change.

He has also been a teacher at various universities nationally and internationally, among them, University of Valencia, PUCP, among others.

Writer of 15 articles of scientific dissemination, which have had international reach. Active participation in research projects, highlighting among them SANILAB which in 2016 was the winner of the Ideas Audaces contest.

We maintain a strategic alliance with Universidad Andina del Cusco, ranked among top private universities in Peru that promote investigation and development.  UAC has a modern infrastructure with chemistry laboratories, water studies and soils for the environment area and engineering as well as research areas and training in medicine. It also counts with a Technology Training Center Information (CENFOTI), whose objective is improve and strengthen scientific research, technological and humanistic at the University through policies of social responsibility, and generating a sustained incentive program for teachers, students and graduates researchers, so that through the research results, the UAC, respond appropriately to needs economic, social and environmental of the country. For our project, Uac is committed to contribute with the particular issue of Microbiological analysis required for our transformation system. 

Peru has 3.4 million people without water and sanitation in peri-urban and rural areas. Due to its low immune defenses, they are the most vulnerable population and can easily contract diseases such as COVID19, ARIs or ADDs. Hand washing and proper sanitation are vital tools for its prevention. Therefore, our proposal contemplates the following components:

1) DRY ERGONOMIC TOILET CO-DESIGNED TOGETHER WITH FAMILIES, well adapted to the needs of each population.
2) PEDAL HANDWASHER WITH WATER PURIFICATION, pathogen free water for adequate hygiene. Efficient control of water usage through its registration in our meter, guaranteeing up to 60% savings of water consumption.
3) USE AND MANAGEMENT OF WASTE through our transformation plant which, in 6 months, converts waste into compost, for afforestation and forage production for animal feed.
4) DIGITAL SANITARY AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL MONITORING SYSTEM with updated and geo-referenced data from each family for health and epidemiological monitoring and analysis, through  mobile application.

There are 2 sources of income:
1. Through the sale of the dry sanitation system and handwasher, which includes technical study of co-creation with communities, installation, training and respective monitoring, to municipalities and a minimum family fee for maintenance and supplies. Access to the mobile platform is free of charge for families.
2. Generation of statistical reports on epidemiology and sanitation, for sale to regional, local governments.
Regarding the escalation, alliances will be generated with municipalities, regional governments, CSR companies, NGOs. At the commercial level, alliances will be established with commercial distributors of accessories and supplies.

Our path to sustainability is based primarily on the sale of our products and services and the reinvestment of profits. For starting operations, our own capital will be used. Also, we will seek to generate alliances with municipalities and regional governments.

 Income will be generated from:

-The sale of the sanitation system to our clients (Municipalities, CSR companies), replacement of supplies
-Sale of statistical reports to the Municipalities.

We are looking for orientation and financial aid for the implementation and escalation of our project , especially in regard for development of its business model.