University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) student Andre Judiel Parabas has won the 10th edition of the Jumpthegap Roca international design competition for his low-cost and biodegradable urine rapid-testing kit.
Parabas was named the first prize winner of this year’s global tilt under the Well-being and Health category in October for designing the P-Kit, a low-cost and biodegradable urine testing kit with a universal toilet seat cover that assists in a contactless and hygienic urine sample for use in any bathroom space.
The student-designed innovation can detect the symptoms of diseases such as diabetes, urinary infections, urinary tract infections, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), malaria, and pneumonia.
The UP Interior Design student said he was inspired to work on his winning entry to offer a solution to the growing demand for accessible and affordable health-monitoring kits in the market.
“I started working on my entry 3 months ago, and I had 3 other concepts before I came up with my entry. My previous concepts were all avant-garde bathroom products that I know answers the competition brief, but I did not feel like those products could be used by people in developing countries where access to proper healthcare, sanitation and hygiene is scarce,” Andre Judiel Parabas shared on his Facebook account.
According to Parabas, the P-Kit is a urinalysis home rapid-testing kit that is designed to be more accessible and affordable to individuals “regardless of their toilet space or personal limitations”.
“Thus, I created P-Kit, a product that offers a solution to the growing demand for more accessible, affordable, and all-inclusive health monitoring kits for everyone, regardless of their toilet space or personal limitations,” Parabas adds.
Parabas’ winning design competed amongst projects submitted by over 2,000 participants from 102 countries in this year’s design tilt.
Jumpthegap is Roca’s international design contest that promotes the creativity and talent of students and professionals to come up with creative, innovative, and radical bathroom solutions to address the challenges included in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The winners of each category were chosen by a jury composed of renowned professionals and will receive a cash prize of €2,000.
The first Philippine-made COVID-19 Rapid Diagnostic Test Kit has been developed by the UP National Institutes of Health (UP NIH) and financed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Recent Filipino student innovations championing sustainability include James Dyson national awardee Mark Kennedy Bantugon’s Pili Seal and the UP Diliman student team’s Hyacinth-esized Packaging.
SEND CONGRATULATIONS in the comments below to University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) student Andre Judiel Parabas for winning the 10th edition of the jumpthegap Roca international design competition for his low-cost and biodegradable urine rapid-testing kit.
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