Five years ago more than 40 babies born in Jamaican hospitals became infected with a lethal bacteria – half of them died. The bacteria Klebsiella is spread from person-to-person or via contaminated surfaces. It can be killed by thorough hand-washing with warm soapy water.

The situation caught the attention of technology student Rayvon Stewart based in Jamaica who set about finding a way to curb the spread of harmful germs. “I made a determined decision that I was going to find a solution to limit the transfer of pathogens to multiple surfaces, thereby saving lives.”

Rayvon was among the finalists shortlisted for last year’s Commonwealth Health Innovation Awards. He took part in an exhibition on the theme ‘Universal Health Coverage: Reaching the unreached, ensuring that no-one is left behind’ which highlighted how young people are tackling age-old challenges with modern technology and disruptive thinking. The product he created was a door handle sanitiser called Xermosol that helps medical facilities, businesses, schools, etc protect people from deadly micro-organisms lurking on their doorknobs.