Photos: Low-cost tech aids basic needs

Each year, one million people die of malaria, which spreads through bites from parasite-infected mosquitoes. The World Health Organization recommends that anyone in zones where malaria is common -- which includes 40 per cent of the world's population -- should sleep under insecticide-treated nets.

The PermaNet is soaked in a pyrethroid insecticide chemical deemed harmless for humans and less environmentally harmful than DDT. The netting retails for around $5 (£2.50) in Kenya and Ghana. Manufacturer Vestergaard Frandsen also makes mosquito-proof fabrics used in building shelters during emergencies, in addition to the LifeStraw.

Credit: Vestergaard Frandsen

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