Author: Sarah Pritzker

Sarah Pritzker is a writer living in Israel. She writes for various Israeli startups and cares a lot about the startup scene in Israel. She has circumnavigated the globe, stopping in nearly every continent, and loves learning about different cultures.
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Israelis Tackle the Aids Crisis with Ancient Medical Treatments

Circumcision has often been viewed as a barbaric practice that should have been left in the Dark Ages from whence it came. However, scientists are discovering now that this medical practice may be more advantageous than they had previously believed.

After years of research and development, Israeli-based and run healthcare technology enterprise Circ MedTech Ltd. has come up with an innovation that uses traditional Jewish circumcisions combined with new technology to effectively fight AIDS.

Skeptical?

See what happened when Israeli delegates brought these devices to Africa…

Background

After a huge number of Soviet Jews entered Israel, an overwhelming demand for circumcisions on adult males arose. This is because the Law of Return gave these men Jewish status, but they had never been ritually circumcised back home. With such a great demand surfacing, medical specialists were pressed to come up with faster, more effective, more cost-efficient, and safer ways to perform the medical procedure on adult males. PrePex entered the picture to satisfy this initial demand, but even more interesting were the discoveries that came later.

During their research, scientists found that the procedure actually helped to reduce the risks of HIV/AIDS within heterosexual males. In fact, incidents were reduced by 70% in individuals who had previously been circumcised. These figures were a shocking revelation, offering a medical opportunity to significantly decrease AIDS infections around the world.

Today, PrePex is being used in over 12 countries across the globe to fight the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus.

PrePex in Africa

Upon its resounding success, the Israeli team decided to take their new invention to Africa in an attempt to help dramatically improve the quality of life in this region through the modern circumcision practice. Though many challenges such as limited hospital space, lack of medical practitioners, and hesitancy from the general population to undertake the surgery, urologists boarded a plane, and the rest is history.

Today citizens across Africa are using the PrePex device to enjoy easy, painless, and cheap circumcisions, along with the dramatic health benefits that come packaged with the deal.

PrePex Gains Global Recognition

PrePex has received world acclaim including winning the Oscars of Silicone Valley 2015 Tech Awards for its tremendous preventive efforts towards one of the world’s greatest health care risks. By taking these devices to large communities throughout Africa, the Israeli initiative is spreading the benefits across the globe.

Other Israeli scientists, including Hebrew University professors Abraham Loyter and Assaf Friedler, have developed a method for destroying harmful HIV cells within the body as well. With such a significant breakthrough in the medical field, the world anxiously awaits the next innovation to come out of Israel.

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Israeli Sewage Recycling Technology to Renew Hope for Indian Agriculture

It’s common knowledge that Israelis can work magic in the realm of agriculture and, more specifically, nontraditional irrigation demands. Using their advanced technology, the Israeli government transformed a desert strip into a fruit-bearing produce exporter with delectable produce on-demand in every season.

In an effort to raise productivity throughout India, the two countries partnered up to bring these ground-breaking technologies to Indian soil with positive results all around. This month, the Centre of Excellence launches a new initiative to recycle accumulating sewage water and use it to irrigate the Kesar mango crops.

A Centre is Built & a Partnership is Born

Since its inception several years ago, the Himayat Bagh Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence has been utilizing Israeli technologies, research laboratories, and packaging houses to promote and develop the agricultural sector in the area. With its newest project, the CoE aims to irrigate the mango crops with recycled sewage water from the Salim Ali Lake. While India will be contributing the infrastructure and location for implementing the new system, Israel will provide the training and support for the technology. A perfect combination.

There are currently four centres of excellence peppered across India. Kesar and Alphonso mango centres are in Aurangabad and Dapol respectively. The other two centres are in Rahuri and Nagpur, the former producing bumper crops of pomegranates, and the latter growing citrus fruits.

Addressing the Drought Issue

At an Adhunik Kissan gathering, David Akov, Israeli Consul General, spoke of the recurring drought issue in India. “To overcome the lengthening cycles of drought in Marathwada,’ says Akov, “the region should go [the] Israel way and develop a system for recycling, purifying, storing and conveying treated waste-water when and where farms need it, along with renowned drip-irrigation innovations to use the precious liquid most efficiently for agriculture.”

Israel is quite familiar with this process. Nearly 85% of sewage in Israel is recycled. Amazingly, this recycled sewage accounts for close to half of the crop irrigation needs of the entire country.

Technology Sharing

In addition to the sewage recycling systems, India is interested in implementing several other Israeli technologies that will help boost their agricultural market. Water conservation, post-harvest processing, and drip irrigation systems will all increase crop production and significantly reduce the dismay that many Indian farmers are currently under. Israel is also working side by side with the Indian government to set up administrative divisions in both Yavatmal and Osmanabad to help further the rural integration development efforts within the country.

With all these initiatives in place, it can be said with confidence that the Indo-Israel CoE will produce resounding success for the entire country to enjoy.

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Israel Steps Up Indian Agriculture with Outstanding Results

While not the catchiest title for reeling in participants, a seminar entitled “Israel Innovation Model to Implement Commercial Sustainable Farms for Cooperatives and Agriprenuers in India” was assembled recently to discuss and usher in a new era for India. Behind this involved topic that brought both the NCUI and the Trade & Economic Mission Embassy of Nepal is a growing partnership between India and Israel. Despite initial skepticism, this small Middle Eastern country is bringing India into a new frontier for agriculture, and best of all, they’re seeing resoundingly positive results.

The IIAP in Action

The IIAP (the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project) is working to bring the latest technologies over to India. The goal is to further the education and development of Indian farmers to facilitate better crop production and distribution. The project has thus far developed 28 stand-alone centers for agricultural development in cities across India including the country’s capital Punjab, along with others such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and the currently volatile Haryana.

The initiative is presently underway, and according to National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) president Chandra Pal Singh Yadav, there are already 260 million individuals involved. Already the project has yielded positive results. Farmers have recorded better production levels and even an increase in financial returns.

Understanding a Need for Advancement

India is not without agricultural technologies of their own of course, but the breadth and depth of these machines are limited, and there is room for expansion, according to the ICAR. And that is where Israel steps in. Israel is known throughout the world for their innovative technologies, having transformed a desert wasteland into a veritable Garden of Eden that produces 95% of its own food requirements. In a land that is not intrinsically suited for agriculture, Israel has managed to nourish an industry that now accounts for 3.6% of all its exports and 2.5% of the total GDP.

India recognizes these advanced technologies, and forward-thinking members of the government are anxious to see innovations work their magic in India as well. In the Indian Cooperative, Dr A.K.Singh, MD, a representative from the National Horticulture board commented on the new endeavor saying, “We have to teach, inform and educate Indian farmers about how to apply various technologies as developed by Israel in the field of agriculture in their production.”

Reap The Gains

Indian specialists aren’t the only ones with positive sentiments for the IIAP. Dan Alluf, Agriculture attache for the Embassy of Israel, was optimistic about the project as well as the future of Indo-Israel relationships bringing forth exciting advancements in the field of agriculture.

“Our team of experts is visiting India regularly to train the farmers with modern techniques. Seminars and cluster meetings are also held to discuss new innovations,” remarked Alluf in regards to the continuity of the education, training, implementation, and development of these and new technologies into the standard farmer’s market. There is a bright future for both Indian agriculture and a prosperous multinational relationship on the horizon.