Fraunhofer-Business Area Cleaning
Worldwide, millions of people lack access to safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, and basic hygiene (WASH). Especially in remote regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, the supply gap is severe – with dramatic consequences for the health of the population.
This is where the PreCare platform comes in, a joint development of the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE: Originally designed to ensure basic medical care and primary supply in hard-to-reach areas, it also offers innovative solutions for water purification and hygiene supply – compactly installed on an off-road pickup.
Safe drinking water treatment using ultrafiltration and UV disinfection
A central element of the platform is a multi-stage system for drinking water treatment. With the help of high-performance ultrafiltration membranes, even the finest particles are effectively removed from the water. Additionally, a UV disinfection unit reliably inactivates any remaining germs. In this way, drinkable water can also be made available in regions without stable infrastructure.
Electrochemical Water Disinfection with Diamond Electrodes
Diamond-coated electrodes from the Fraunhofer IST can be used to directly produce strong oxidizing agents in water through an electrochemical process. If a small amount of table salt is dissolved in the water, in addition to ozone and hydroxyl radicals, active chlorine compounds such as hypochlorite are also formed. These substances have a strong disinfecting effect and make water disinfection without additional chemicals possible. Furthermore, the technology allows for the on-site production of disinfectants, such as for the hygienic cleaning of surfaces or medical equipment.
Mobile hygiene supply
The PreCare platform also offers an integrated autonomous handwashing system as well as a mobile shower, enabling basic hygiene measures on-site – a crucial contribution to the prevention of infectious diseases. The solutions are robust and tailored for decentralized use in remote areas.
The operation of the platform is very simple, so the staff can be trained on-site in a one-day workshop. For reliable operation, no external power source is necessary, as the energy supply is ensured through an efficient photovoltaic system, such as the one developed at Fraunhofer ISE. An integrated remote maintenance unit enables continuous monitoring and maintenance of the deployed plants and systems. The production of the platform, repair, and maintenance are handled by the Fraunhofer spin-off SMile Solutions (Pty) Ltd. directly on-site in Africa, an important prerequisite to ensure continuous operation under demanding conditions.
PreCare is modular in design, can be flexibly adapted to local requirements and various tasks, and addresses areas where conventional infrastructures are lacking. PreCare can help improve hygiene standards and the quality of life for many people.
Are you interested in advancing WASH initiatives with us or using the PreCare platform in projects? Then feel free to contact us for more information or collaboration opportunities.
More about the project: https://www.ist.fraunhofer.de/en/press-media/2025/medical-care-health-platform-for-pickup-trucks.html and https://www.ist.fraunhofer.de/en/reference-projects/precare.html