Norah Magero has won the Royal Academy of Engineering’s 2022 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation with Vaccibox, a small, mobile, solar-powered fridge that safely stores and transports medicines such as vaccines for use in field vaccinations and remote clinics.
Magero is the first Kenyan and the second woman to receive the award in its eight-year history.
In a virtual ceremony, Africa Prize Judge Alessandra Buonfino noted that Magero’s innovation, VacciBox, demonstrated the continent’s potential for medical innovation.
“We’re delighted to award VacciBox the Africa Prize. The potential impact of improving the cold chain delivery of medicine – especially vaccines – to rural areas is immense. Norah truly represents the idea that one innovator can change an entire community. We look forward to watching her and her team scale this innovation to reach even more people,” said Buonfino.
As a result, Magero was awarded Ksh3.6 million (£25,000), which will be used to help spread the invention to more people in Africa.
Magero, who was honored by the award, stated that the invention was intended to assist medics working in impoverished areas.
“VacciBox was designed with our local challenges in mind. It’s versatile, reliable and localized. We’re ensuring that it works the way healthcare workers need it to work for the conditions they face each day so that they can save lives without worrying about technology,” she stated.
The award, which began in 2014, is the continent’s largest prize in the engineering field, and it seeks to recognize inventions by men and women in the industry.
Magero has extensive experience in the design and management of off-grid energy utilities. According to her LinkedIn profile, she is passionate about energy access in Africa and gender issues.
She has also been named a Booking.com Technology Playmaker Award 2020 finalist and a Women in Energy East Africa Community, Philanthropy Award winner in 2017. She is also a graduate of the Young African Leaders Initiative, YALI, and the Micro-Grid Academy.
