Mangalore Teen invents a way to detect malnutrition and it costs only Rs. 2
Muhammad Suhail CS is the 18-year-old boy from Mangalore, who has found a solution to detect malnutrition in just Rs. 2. He refers to it as The Malnutrition Project, and all it comprises of is paper strips that can indicate the protein level in a child’s blood. It is a non-evasive method of diagnosing pre-symptomatic Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM) with paper strips
How is it done? Well, the biomarker is saliva tells the level of protein in the blood. Following the theory of Dr. Manu Prakash, scientist and professor of Bioengineering at the Stanford University, who himself used paper to detect Malaria within three minutes, Suhail rejected the use of syringes, and replaced the same with papers that change color, in case of deficiency of protein in one’s blood.
For his extraordinary invention, Suhail has been conferred with national and international awards. He was awarded Bal Shakti Puruskar for his advanced work in diagnosing Pre-symptomatic Protein Energy Malnutrition non-invasively using paper. He also received words of immense praise from the Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi.
On international platform, a minor star is named after him by the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, in collaboration with International Astronomical Union at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2018 at Pittsburgh.
At an age when most teenagers are in-the-middle of figuring out their lives, this young India became a dynamic entrepreneur. So, why did he come up with The Malnutrition Project?
Suhail told a source, “It’s a way of giving back to my country.”
He also has no plans for commercializing it since he genuinely wants to tackle the issue of malnutrition, especially in children.
"The method costs Rs. 2 and takes merely two minutes. It's a breakthrough in terms of cost and results in zero biomedical waste,” he shares.
However, this project isn’t his only invention. He is also the brain behind a project called ‘Let’s Generate Electricity by Walking’. He was only in grade 8, when he came up with designed tiles that could be fixed in public places. When people walk over it, it could produce electricity. The project along won more than 50 awards for its brilliant concept and application. It is often used for generation of electricity for street lights.
A voracious reader, Suhail grew up in Srirangapatna in Mandya district of Mangaluru and his parents were avid readers as well. Since his childhood, Suhail had a profound interest in technology and science. Once he got his hands on his own laptop, there was no stopping him from learning everything he could about entrepreneurship, innovation and technology, and the result is right in front of us.
So, what’s next for this child prodigy?
Well, after all the awards, accolades and honors coming his way, it might seem that Suhail must be flowing in pride, and well, he should but he hasn’t let any of these get into his head. In fact, he is on his way to finish his next big project—create online transaction that would eliminate the use of debit and credit cards. His purpose behind this project is the issue of hacking and threatened safety of the customers.
Well, here’s wishing him the best for all his future innovations and achievements!
