Can nanotechnology improve public health?

Building partnerships between the technology users and the scientific community can also help ensure take-up of the technology once it is developed. The success of a nano-based water treatment project in South Africa is due in large part to the close involvement of the local community in its design and maintenance (see "Community ownership is key to nanotech water projects").

International collaborations are another route for improving national nanotechnology initiatives. Joint ventures such as the India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) Nanotechnology Initiative promote co-operation and collective learning in nanotechnology for areas such as energy, water, agriculture and health.

Under the initiative, a school on health and water was established in South Africa last year and researchers from all three countries are collectively working on a nano-based drug delivery system for antiretrovirals.

There is little doubt that nanotechnology holds a great deal of promise for improving public health in developing countries. But realising this potential will be no easy feat. It will require co-operation and engagement at every level - from international research collaborations to synchronised national programs and the involvement of the local community.