Technological Solutions –
“May you live a 100 years,” is a blessing that every child receives from their elders on birthdays.
But the stories from the previous decades make one reminisce about a reality that brings goosebumps. Isn’t it?
These were the times when the world was engulfed with various medical challenges that spoke aloud of the trait of mortality mankind was bestowed with. After many trials and errors and the application of intelligence, a variety of natural solutions were invented that helped extend human expectancy by a few more years. Though this proved to be beneficial, it had various limitations like the effect was not long-lasting, the probability of eliminating the cause was less than 50 percent, or the time to produce a positive effect took longer than usual.
A solution to present people with better choices came in the form of technology. The industrial revolution marked its progress with the development of vaccines and medicines that reinvented clinical procedures. While it contributed in numerous ways, the foremost impact was its gift of extending life.
Traveling back to the current scenario, the Hi-tech inventions are now enabling the homo sapiens, though not to be mortal, to live more than what they are being blessed with every year.
As a guide to add on years, the article brings to notice five of the leading solutions that technology has offered to take care of and prolong one’s life.
Let us read further this insightful article that highlights the technological progression which is assisting humans to extend life by a few more years
Upgrading Medicine and Vaccine Delivery
The first and foremost technological intervention has been in the field of medicines and vaccines.
These developments are allowing scientists to explore different chemical combinations to present the world with credible drug discoveries. This is often done in tandem with collected patient data, which is organized with the use of Big Data and serves as an anchor point for researchers to know the healthcare industry demand. Through this, medical science offers treatments with greater precision, a firm shield to counter various ailments, and helps consumers fight parasites effectively.
The research is similarly used in the development of vaccines, but the key challenge specific to this industry is to manage its transit from manufacturer to the consumer. The drawbacks in the needed supply chain of cold storage facilities interrupt many vaccine drives.
Inventions have acted on this problem, and now it has become possible to harness solar energy to maintain temperatures below the freezing point as the energy is expected to drive compressors which have the role of maintaining the required thermal conditions and further presenting battery-free refrigeration options.
The adequate provision of vaccines, especially in lower-income countries, helped people live a few years more than their current expected life expectancy.
While this is the initial stage of improving healthcare, the next stage is to ensure that these benefits are adequately accessed by the population.
Devices Leading to Healthy Decisions
In today’s competitive world, following one’s ambitions has become the norm for survival. But accompanied by the dedication and efforts put into the professional journey, living a healthy lifestyle has become a dire necessity rather than a leisure.
For this, the second enrichment done by technology is enhancing human memory through various products, cardinally by wearables and robotics, which is equipping lives with better decision-making abilities.
Wearable devices have become essential in everyone’s routine. Its popularity is evidenced in the fact of its rising purchases which increased from 45.8 million in 2018 to 67 million in 2022.
These devices are awakening people from the deep slumber of slackness and low mobility. It is found to bring positive changes in a consumer’s life as it helps one track their fitness journey while keeping them motivated by the displayed electronic numerical as per their performance. It makes one mindful about their eating habits, as the devices count calorie intake and some even send alert messages when calories in a day are exceeded.
The calorie tracker is coupled with the avenues to improve food choices and the benefits received from its consumption.
Redesigning Farming
The world faces the burns of malnutrition and undernutrition, especially among children, even today. Few of the factors are nutritionally deficient soils, geographical limitations, or bio-accumulation in the food chain.
Technology is acting as a quick fix to enhance nutritional values in food. One such technological solution is biofortification. This method is proven to increase mineral levels, cover for vitamin deficiencies, incorporate essential proteins and amino acids, and address other aspects of food security.
Additionally, the technology of aquaponics and vertical farming has encouraged urban conglomerates to consume self-harvested organic vegetables, at the same time providing nutritional benefits, ensuring safety, and also adding to a pollution-free environment that has helped increase life-expectancy ratios.
The above solution of providing healthy food choices, coupled with other innovations has helped countries remedy increasing child mortality and maternal mortality.
Ensuring Healthy Mother and Child
Furthering the first step of demographic transition made governments realize the reality of infant mortality coupled with added problems of deaths of children under the age group of 5 or less years, maternal mortality, and others.
The authorities and other organizations surely deserve praise for the work they did to transform these challenges and enable children to see what their future holds.
But the solution to expanding its coverage in all seven continents was still to be found. This came in, in the form of technology that was as simple as a mobile phone and progressed to being as intricate as specially designed medical equipment.
Talking about the leverages offered by cellular modems, a recent World Bank study states that with a 10 percent point increase in mobile coverage, the observed reduction in infant mortality is about 0.45 percentage points. This change is brought through the avenues it provides for broadening community connectivity, benefiting them with abundant knowledge resources regarding safe childbirth practices, educating them about gender equality, and enabling close contact with medical staff or hospitals during emergencies.
While the children are taken care of, it is equally important to reduce maternal mortality rates. Technology has achieved so significantly by providing infection-free treatment environments, injectable contraceptives – which have the potential to save more than 3 million lives worldwide, adoption of technologies like balloon tamponade to prevent conditions of hemorrhages during pregnancy, and many more.
Apart from its immense support for early childhood years, it also ensures the well-being of the elderly population.
Virtual Care for Elderly
Research suggests that most developed countries will be having half of their population in the age bracket above 50 in the coming years. This would naturally lead to a dual burden on the working age population – that is of caring for their children as well as their parents or older relatives.
Technology is a problem solver that is reducing their burden through solutions offered by virtual care, telehealth, and other smart housing options. This is enabling geriatric care and medical assistance just with one click or call. It has reduced the need to constantly visit doctors for follow-up and deferred care, giving them the required rest and psychological satisfaction that adds years to their life journey.
Apart from this, various mobile applications encourage them to adopt healthy living practices as well as monitor their progress to shower them with self-motivation. This increases their participation in physical activities and provides them with various sumptuous meal choices that are healthy as well as tasty to enable them to take care of their borderline or declining health parameters.
Hit the Century!
The benefits provided by technology are infinite if used wisely and are accompanied by prudent and deeper research. Society as a whole is flourished and together climbs the stairs of healthy living hence achieving the goal post of being a centenarian, for the starters at least.
