The 2026 Must Design competition was recently held at the Malawi University of Science and Technology's (Must) Ndata Campus, with 14 teams presenting their innovative ideas to address healthcare challenges in Malawi. The competition, which was held in the library auditorium, saw teams pitch their ideas to a panel of judges who assessed each presentation to determine the winner. The event provided a platform for students to showcase their creativity and innovative thinking.
The winning team, NeoHearScreen, presented a device designed to test the hearing ability of newborn babies, aiming to identify potential hearing difficulties at an early stage. The device's creator, Sekani Msache, explained that the innovation seeks to provide timely help to babies with hearing difficulties. The team won a prize of K800,000 for their innovative idea. The competition was organized to encourage students to develop practical solutions to real-world challenges.
The Must Design Studio, managed by Nelson Mwenifumbo, plays a crucial role in helping students turn classroom ideas into practical solutions. The studio provides a platform for students to identify real-world challenges, develop ideas, build prototypes, and refine their solutions through practical experimentation and mentorship. The studio's efforts aim to ensure that student innovations move beyond the competition stage and have a tangible impact.
One notable innovation that emerged from the Must Design Studio is the Thermolabile drug cooler, developed by three students led by Collings Chatangwa. The mobile fridge uses grid power, solar energy, and a rechargeable battery to store temperature-sensitive medicines, vaccines, and research samples. The device also allows users to monitor its temperature through their mobile phones, providing a reliable cooling solution for essential medicines.
The Thermolabile drug cooler was inspired by the challenges faced by people with diabetes in storing insulin at home. The team noted a rise in diabetes cases in both rural and urban parts of Malawi, and their innovation aims to address the issue of storing temperature-sensitive medicines. A 2022 study published in the Malawi Medical Journal found that some diabetes patients in rural Malawi use unconventional methods to store insulin due to limited access to reliable cooling technology.
The cooling gap affects both rural and urban health facilities, with power blackouts, faulty refrigerators, and fuel shortages disrupting vaccine storage in district hospitals. In September 2025, Unicef reported that these challenges force health workers to cancel immunization sessions, leaving mothers without vaccinating their children. The Thermolabile drug cooler has the potential to address this issue, but it is still at the prototype testing and validation stage.
The Must Design competition and the Must Design Studio demonstrate the university's commitment to fostering innovation and creativity among its students. By providing a platform for students to develop and showcase their ideas, the university aims to contribute to addressing some of Malawi's most pressing healthcare challenges. The innovations presented have the potential to make a tangible impact on the lives of ordinary people.
Key points
- The 2026 Must Design competition showcased 14 student innovations addressing healthcare challenges in Malawi.
- The Must Design Studio provides a platform for students to develop practical solutions to real-world challenges.
- The Thermolabile drug cooler, a winning innovation, aims to address the challenge of storing temperature-sensitive medicines in Malawi.
