In the World: MIT-designed cooler preserves tuberculosis drugs, records doses
Tuberculosis, now largely controlled in the industrialized world, remains a stubbornly persistent killer in most of Africa, as well as parts of Asia and South America. The spread of multidrug-resistant strains of TB has slowed progress against the devastating disease, which is estimated to strike more than 10 million people annually. Now a modified soft-drink cooler, developed by researchers at MIT’s D-Lab, could make a dent in the disease’s impact.There are two big issues that physicians confront in trying to tackle drug-resistant TB strains in developing countries. First, the drugs used to treat the disease, which require several doses per day over a course of 18 months, must be kept at a controlled low temperature — in places where the availability of electricity is sparse and unreliable. And second, the drugs must be taken regularly, requiring continuous monitoring by...