Medical devices and biomaterials for the developing world: Technical solutions and policy recommendations

This paper is part of a larger work in which we discuss the role of medical technology in developing settings with a focus on West Africa and Latin America. We aim to identify the major factors limiting the effectiveness of medical technology in developing settings and to propose the clinical application of biomaterials as one way that the local resources of these settings can be harnessed to reverse this negative trend. After a discussion of the health and agricultural sectors in two nations (Ghana and Nicaragua), we propose that these nations have access to the resources required to support a sustainable biomaterials industry. We also propose the use of a universal metric, or Medical Technology Score (MTS), that evaluates the technical competence of health facilities and systems in the context of a baseline international standard. Pending the completion of ongoing tests of biocompatibility with various human tissues, corn-and soy-derived materials have potential as a new form of “technology” in the clinical setting. Several non-scientific factors must also be considered, such as relevant infrastructure and the connection between agricultural output and production of such materials.