WIPO Global Health Fellowship: Supporting Science Toward Global Health Solutions

In laboratories in India, thousands of kilometers away from their home countries, two young African scientists reimagine how innovation can save lives. Driven by a desire to address urgent health challenges, from mosquito-borne illnesses to maternal complications, Dorothy Ohia and Peter Opinde are transforming their research into real-world solutions through a WIPO-funded Global Health Innovation Fellowship. In partnership with the Indian Department of Biotechnology (DBT)’s Biodesign Program and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) in Bombay and Delhi, the fellowship equips innovators with clinical and scientific expertise to transform ideas into practical solutions to deliver public health impact, leveraging intellectual property (IP).

From Research to Real-World Impact

Peter, a recent engineering graduate, traveled from Nairobi to New Delhi to join the fellowship. He carried two bags and a vision: to make giving birth safer for women and babies. Working and training between the IIT Delhi and the Maulana Azad Medical College, Peter is developing a non-invasive wearable device that measures uterine contractions in real time.

In busy maternity wards and remote districts around the world, he encountered a shared challenge: limited tools and fragile healthcare infrastructure that make it difficult to accurately monitor labor. Nurses often have to assess contractions manually or rely on equipment that fails to capture their true intensity. Drawing on these experiences, he set out to design a device that is not only precise, but also practical and reliable in low-resource settings.

Dorothy arrived at IIT Bombay in 2024, carrying with her years of academic training in biology and environmental health. Her doctoral work led to a patented nano-based larvicide for mosquito control. But she wanted more than producing high-quality peer-reviewed papers and publications; she wanted “to make science matter where it counts most”.

Malaria and dengue are not abstract statistics in her home country of Nigeria. They disrupt schooling, endanger pregnant women and push families into financial distress. According to the World Malaria Report 2025, published by the World Health Organization, in 2024, the African Region bore the heaviest burden of malaria, accounting for an estimated 94% of global cases (around 265 million). In contrast, the South-East Asia Region represented less than 1% of cases worldwide (approximately 2.7 million), with India accounting for 73.3% of the region’s total. These statistics illustrate the critical need for targeted interventions in areas hardest hit by mosquito-borne diseases.

At IIT Bombay, Dorothy began developing a smart spray-dispenser that can be programmed to dispense mosquito repellent during specific times of the day, aiding in combating mosquito-borne diseases while simultaneously reducing the incidence of respiratory irritation due to proximity to spraying devices.

Her work reflects a broader shift: the move from theory to application in global health innovation, turning research into applied solutions. “The fellowship became a launchpad to translate my work into societal benefit and grow as a biomedical innovator”, she notes.

Building IP Capacity for Innovation Across Borders

Both fellows represent a model of South–South collaboration, contributing to a dynamic exchange of knowledge and innovation between Africa and Asia in pursuit of global health goals. 

Dorothy and Peter’s training and experience have sensitized them to important IP considerations in their work. The fellowship has given them exposure to tools including IP protection, licensing and commercial pathways.

For both, this experience has reshaped how they think about innovation. Today, success means pushing their prototypes through rigorous user testing, navigating clinical validation, planning regulatory pathways and integrating IP strategies. Both fellows view IP not as an afterthought, but as an integral part of the innovation lifecycle. Dorothy is cautious about publicly disclosing design details before securing protection. She hopes that she can leverage partnerships, based on IP, to bring the device she is building to market, including into underserved communities. Peter regularly attends seminars on obtaining patent protection while continuing to refine his prototype.

A New Generation of Global Health Innovators

Across the world, communities grapple with persistent health threats, many of which have existed as long as humankind itself. The journeys of Dorothy and Peter and the global health technologies they’re developing illuminate a transformative pathway to address these challenges, one that is paved with partnership and highlights the broad array of competencies required to turn ideas into real-world solutions.

Innovation flourishes through collaboration, persistent field testing, a well-crafted IP strategy and partnerships that transcend borders. By embedding IP considerations into every phase, from prototype refinement to commercialization, Dorothy and Peter are ensuring that life-saving health technologies reach the patients and communities who need them.