Nithya Ramanathan: The problem of vaccine spoilage -- and a smart sensor to help | TED

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

There I was, an American woman,

我到了那裡，

一名美國女子，

up to my knees in muck, wielding these strange metal boxes.

膝蓋以下都在淤泥中，

使用這些奇怪的金屬盒子。

I was in rural Bangladesh,

我在孟加拉的鄉村地區 部署我們打造的感測器，

deploying sensors that we'd built

in order to understand why the ground water was making people sick.

希望了解為什麼 地下水會讓居民生病。

And I attracted some attention.

我引來了一些注意。

But my tech simply measured the problem.

但，我的技術只是用來測量問題。

The local communities that I'd really come to connect with

我後來漸漸與這些 當地社區建立了連結，

were expecting a solution.

他們期望的是解決方案。

So I raised funds, hired engineers from the city

所以我去募款，

僱用該市的工程師， 以挖掘一個深井，

in order to dig a deep well and bypass the arsenic

並繞過砷，讓大家能取得乾淨用水。

and provide access to clean water.

And we celebrated.

我們慶祝了。

But as I boarded the plane, I thought, “What if it breaks?”

但，當我登機時，

我心想：「萬一它出問題了呢？」

I'm an engineer.

我是工程師。

I know that's not if but when.

我知道出問題是遲早的事。

When the well breaks, who will fix it?

當井出問題時，要找誰去修？

How will they pay for it?

他們怎麼付擔得起？

And will they even know there's a problem in the first place?

甚至，他們會知道井出問題了嗎？

我很快就了解到，這種現象太常見，

And I soon learned that this is all too often

how lifesaving equipment is deployed globally

救命的設備就是這樣 被部署到全球各地，

in countries with limited electricity and infrastructure.

部署到電力和基礎設施有限的國家。

I kept thinking, I don't want to just build sensors

我不斷想著，我不想要 只是建造感測器

that measure a problem once it's very bad.

在問題已經很嚴重的時候來做測量。

What if instead we brought together the tech built to measure

我們能不能換個方式， 帶來測量用的技術，

together with the equipment built to solve?

同時搭配用來解決的設備？

What could we unlock?

這樣會有什麼改變？

Take vaccines.

以疫苗為例。

Vaccines won't work if they get too hot or, surprisingly, too cold,

太熱時疫苗會失效，

很意外的，太冷也一樣，

so distributing vaccines requires refrigerators,

所以配送疫苗時會需要用冰箱，

big and small,

大的和小的都需要，

to function reliably.

才能可靠地發揮功能。

Fridges can save lives,

冰箱可以救命，

but all too often, like any kitchen appliance, they break.

但和任何廚房電器一樣， 它們很常故障。

One study in South Asia found

一項南亞的研究

that over half of vaccine doses showed evidence of temperature damage

發現超過一半的疫苗

在送達目的地時都有

by the time of the end of their journey.

因為溫度受損的證據。

This means that the children that would have received those vaccines

這就表示，要接種這些疫苗的孩子

may not have actually been protected.

可能不見得會有保護力。

Fridge failure is a big problem,

冰箱故障是個大問題， 且在任何地方都可能發生。

and it can happen anywhere.

Here in California,

在加州這裡，

in 2015, Stanford Children's Health discovered a fridge

2015 年，史丹佛兒童醫院

發現有一個冰箱已經故障了八個月。

that had been malfunctioning for up to eight months.

Staff contacted 1,500 families about revaccinating those children.

員工聯絡了一千五百個家庭，

請他們讓孩子重新接種疫苗。

But what if you can't just get the families on the phone?

但，電話聯絡不到的家庭怎麼辦？

What if they live a six-hour walk away?

如果他們住處要步行 六小時才能抵達呢？

What if that first shot is your only shot?

如果第一劑就是你唯一的一劑呢？

The stakes are high, especially now with COVID vaccines.

賭注很大，特別是現在 在打新冠肺炎疫苗。

Now, in May 2021, in Tanzania,

2021 年五月，在坦尚尼亞，

a failing fridge with our smart sensor

一台裝有我們的智慧感測器的 冰箱故障了，發出警示給

prompted an immediate response from the regional immunization officer,

地區免疫官員請求立即因應，

and a technician was out to the site and fixed some faulty wiring,

一名技師立刻前往現場 修復出問題的線路，

and all the vaccines at that site stayed safe.

那裡的所有疫苗都安然無恙。

Real-time sensor data made all the difference.

即時感測器資料能造成不同。

We built a simple solution that continuously monitors the temperature

我們打造了這個簡單的 解決方案，持續監控溫度，

and keeps that fridge in Tanzania connected.

讓坦尚尼亞的冰箱能保持連線。

It sends an immediate text message automatically when the fridge fails,

當冰箱出問題時， 會馬上自動發出文字訊息，

and importantly, the nurses and the technicians are ready

重要的是，護理師和技師 都有所準備也有必要設備，

and equipped to respond and fix the problem.

可以因應解決問題。

My team and our partners have scaled this technology

我的團隊和我們的合作夥伴 將這項技術擴大到

to over 15,000 sites across Asia and Africa,

亞洲和非洲的至少一千五百個地點，

protecting the vaccine supply

為全世界每年

for one in 10 babies born on Earth each year.

十分之一的新生兒保護疫苗供應。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

And the same data that's used to actually detect the broken equipment

而用來偵測設備故障的資料同樣

can also be used to reveal the strongest links in the chain.

可以用來找出鏈鎖當中最強的連結。

These are the best sites and routes to use in an emergency.

這些是緊急狀況時可以 使用的最佳地點和路徑。

My team is working now with countries

我的團隊目前正在與多國合作，

to reveal these pathways for COVID vaccines,

為新冠肺炎疫苗找出這些路線，

so using sensor data for identifying the best vaccine sites

用感測器資料來找出 用哪些疫苗站點能夠

in terms of temperature control.

把溫度控制做到最好。

In turn, these sites can then serve as a backbone for all vaccine delivery.

找出來之後，這些站點也能 扮演所有疫苗配送的骨幹。

Now and in the future.

現在和未來都可以。

So here's what I've learned.

所以，以下是我所學到的。

Sensor data can change the game

感測器資料能扭轉局勢，

by providing a common source of ground truth

因為能提供真實資訊的共通來源，

that enables coordinated action required to maintain lifesaving equipment.

維護救命設備要採取的協力行動

就會需要這樣的來源。

Not just vaccine fridges

不只是疫苗冰箱，

but any equipment deployed to save lives,

任何為了救命而部署的設備都一樣，

from solar panels on hospitals to ventilators and oxygen tanks.

從醫院的太陽能板，

到通風機，到氧氣瓶，

But in order to realize these benefits,

但，要了解這些益處，

we need to invest in data

我們需要投資在資料上，

and ensure that local communities and countries

並且確保

駕駛座上坐的是當地社區和國家，

are in the driver's seat

and that they have access to the resources they need

且他們能夠取得他們需要的資源，

to act on what their data is telling them.

讓他們能根據資料 告訴他們的資訊來行動。

It's worth it.

這是值得的。我知道。

I know, because I have seen how the same tech can be used to measure,

因為我親眼見過同樣的技術

可以用來測量、

solve big problems and sustain those solutions.

解決大問題，

並支援那些解決方案。

Just as my friends in Bangladesh were right to expect all along.

正如同我在孟加拉的 朋友所期待的一樣。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）