Виржиниа мужийн өсвөр насны зохион бүтээгч Хэман Бекеле арьсны хорт хавдрыг эмчлэхэд туслах хямд өртөгтэй савангийн загварыг гаргажээ.
Хэман Бекеле өөрийн бага насны дурсамжаасаа сэдэвлэн энэхүү төслийг эхлүүлсэн байна. Этиоп улсад амьдарч байхдаа наранд удаан хугацаагаар ажилладаг хүмүүсийн арьсны хорт хавдрын эрсдэлийг анзаарсан тэрээр эмчилгээний хүртээмж муутай асуудлыг шийдвэрлэхийг зорьжээ. 2023 оны 10 дугаар сарын 9, 10-ны өдрүүдэд болсон “3M Young Scientist Challenge” тэмцээний үеэр тэрээр өөрийн санаагаа танилцуулж, “Америкийн шилдэг залуу эрдэмтэн” цолыг хүртэн 25,000 ам.долларын шагнал авсан юм.
Түүний бүтээсэн “Skin Cancer Treating Soap” (SCTS) нь арьсны дархлааны эсүүд болох дендрит эсийг идэвхжүүлэх замаар биеийн хамгаалах тогтолцоог сэргээх зориулалттай. Энэхүү савангийн нэг ширхгийг үйлдвэрлэх өртөг нь ердөө 50 цент орчим байх тооцоотой нь АНУ-д хийгддэг олон мянган долларын өртөгтэй хагалгааны эмчилгээтэй харьцуулахад маш хямд шийдэл юм.
Хэман Бекеле өдгөө Жонс Хопкинсийн их сургуулийн Нийгмийн эрүүл мэндийн сургуульд хэсэгчилсэн байдлаар ажиллаж, савангаар дамжуулан эм хүргэх болон бүтээгдэхүүнээ боловсронгуй болгох судалгааг үргэлжлүүлж байна. Тэрээр 2024 онд TIME сэтгүүлээс “Оны шилдэг хүүхэд”-ээр нэрлэгдсэн бөгөөд 2028 он гэхэд энэхүү төслөө ашгийн бус байгууллага болгон өргөжүүлж, арьсны хорт хавдрын эмчилгээг олон нийтэд тэгш хүртээмжтэй болгохыг зорьж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
A teenager from Virginia has turned a simple bar of soap into a potential tool against melanoma. Heman Bekele, a young inventor recognized as America’s Top Young Scientist, created a low-cost soap concept designed to help make skin cancer treatment more accessible.
The idea came from Heman’s childhood in Ethiopia, where he saw people spending long hours under the sun without always being aware of the risks. After moving to the United States at age four, those memories stayed with him and later pushed him to look for a solution to a growing health problem.
Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. According to the National Institutes of Health, around 1.5 million new cases were estimated globally in 2020. For him, the challenge was clear: create something simple, affordable, and easy for people to use.
That idea became the Skin Cancer Treating Soap (SCTS), a project that helped him win the 2023 3M Young Scientist Challenge. His invention caught attention because it combined scientific research with an everyday product found in homes around the world.
A Childhood Memory Turned Into A Scientific Project
When Heman Bekele started thinking about his competition entry, he focused on a problem he had noticed years earlier. In Ethiopia, he had seen people working outside for long periods under strong sunlight, which made him think about the risks linked to sun exposure. He began researching skin cancer and the difficulties many people face when trying to access treatment.
“I was looking into the issue of skin cancer and the fact that, especially in third-world countries, people living under the poverty line just can’t afford the treatment necessary for skin cancer,” Bekele told Afrotech.
Instead of imagining a complicated medical device, he chose something familiar: soap. His goal was to create a product that could fit naturally into people’s daily lives.
As reported by a press release published by the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), after months of testing, the young boy developed a prototype designed to reactivate dendritic cells. These immune cells can be affected by cancer cells, and the idea behind the soap is to help restore their ability to support the body’s defense system.
The affordability of the concept became one of its strongest points. Heman estimated that producing one bar would cost around 50 cents, while skin cancer surgery in the United States can cost around $40,000.
Simple Idea Takes Home The Top Prize
Heman presented his project during the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a competition organized by 3M and Discovery Education for students in fifth through eighth grades.
After four months of competition, he was named the winner at 3M headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, on October 9 and 10, 2023. Along with the title of America’s Top Young Scientist, he received a $25,000 prize.
“I wanted to make my idea something that not only was great in terms of science but also could be accessible to as many people as possible,” explained Heman, as quoted by the Washington Post.
For Heman, the award was only the beginning. The recognition gave more visibility to his project and helped him continue exploring how his idea could develop beyond the competition.
“More than anything, winning the 3M Scientist Challenge has given me even more motivation,” said Bekele . “It’s empowered me to realize that science can get you somewhere and science is a viable option. It’s also taught me that people want to hear about my ideas, and I’m allowed to create. At first, this bar of soap just was a random idea by a 14-year-old and look where it’s gotten me.”
From Student Inventor to Future Science Leader
Since winning the competition, Heman has continued developing his soap concept and exploring new ways to expand its impact. In 2024, TIME named him Kid of the Year, recognizing his efforts to make medical treatment more affordable and accessible for communities in need.
He also began working part-time at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he started early tests related to his invention and explored ways to deliver medication through a soap-based product. Turning a scientific idea into a real medical treatment takes time, research, and testing. Heman is now learning more about the process while continuing to work with scientists and mentors.
“By 2028, I hope to turn SCTS, which is right now just a passion project into more than that. I hope to turn it into a nonprofit organization where I can provide equitable and accessible skin cancer treatment to as many people as possible,” he added during an interview with Afrotech.
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