Research application to GLOHRA /BMBF

The German Alliance for Global Health Research (GLOHRA) is an association of scientists working together to solve the major health problems of humankind worldwide. GLOHRA regularly awards research funds for cooperation projects between university institutes and associations. However, the funding actually comes from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

 

This year, AGAPE, together with the Institute for Geosciences Heidelberg and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, applied for funds that will ultimately benefit families in Bangladesh. In this already proven cooperation, a total of 300 families with high levels of arsenic in their groundwater will now be equipped with various water purification methods starting in April 2021. The technologies - including our drinking water filters, which have already been tested over many years - will be optimized over two years under scientific supervision. In addition to arsenic removal, microbial contamination will also be taken into account. Another key aspect is the development of a first purification stage that will enable families to treat larger quantities of water - ideally all that is needed in the household. This will involve the use of the electrocoagulation process, which we have already successfully tested in Germany.

 

Cooperation with universities is important in order to be able to develop a process that people will use in the long term and that meets all the needs of families. Our people from AGAPE on the ground will oversee the facilities and work with the families involved in the study to further improve the technology for usability and sustainability.

 

The project will now run for two years starting in April 2022. The funding share for AGAPE is nearly €90,000 (Dec. 20, 2021).