A Companion to the Philosophy of Technology

Cases of S&T Applied to the MDGs

There have been several reports outlining the contribution of S&T to the MDGs.^17,18,19 Some recommendations seem out of reach, in light of the lack of basic infrastructure in the world’s poorest regions. For example, how can genomics play a role in diagnosing illness early on, if there is not basic medicine and doctors in many rural areas? Yet, in their optimism, they give us a picture of what the future should be. There has been a call for a “global genomics partnership,” with high participation and leadership from the global South, to focus specifically on development needs.²⁰ Many argue that without advanced technology for developing countries they will only continue to lag behind.²¹

Local technology development is essential to building long-term capacity and appropriate solutions for developing countries.²² For example, an Indonesian research team developed a real-time immunochemistry-based assay that detects Salmonella typhi, the causative agent of typhoid fever.²³ This test can be performed without laboratory facilities, as the reagents are stable and it is simple to conduct. The Indian company Shantha Biotechnics developed a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine, which sells for twenty times less per dose than the US vaccine.²⁴ Medical and healthcare technologies developed locally are more likely to take into consideration local financial and infrastructure challenges and conditions of affected communities.

Environmental sustainability is lagging ...