Marc Koska
Encyclopedia
Marc Andrew Koska OBE
was born in Bournemouth
on 14 March 1961.
He is best known for inventing the non-reusable K1 auto-disable syringe
, thus preventing the medical transmission of blood-borne diseases.
in Buckingham, and then traveled for several years with a short period working in the City of London. He skied, sailed and worked his way around Europe, US and the Caribbean. In the Caribbean he worked as a model maker of scenes of crime to be used in courts.
As of 2001, Koska lives in East Sussex
, England
with his wife Anna Koska and their three children.
through the reuse of needles
and syringes. Koska was fascinated by the problem and vowed to do something about it. He studied how drug addicts used syringes in the UK, went to Geneva
to learn about Public Health Policy, visited several syringe factories, studied plastic injection moulding, and read everything available on the transmission of viruses like HIV.
After a year of intense study, he concluded that syringe manufacture was the key to the problem. Koska designed a syringe (K1) that could be made on existing equipment with a small modification. It was made from the same materials and could be used in the same way as a normal syringe so that healthcare professionals would not have to retrain. K1 syringes cannot be used again so the next patient will also have a sterile and safe injection.
Koska recognized that new syringes were only one part of the solution. One must also teach the public about the dangers of reusing needles. In 2005 Koska founded The SafePoint Trust
, a registered charity dedicated to educating children about this issue.
On 23 July 2009, Marc gave a lecture on his life-saving invention to TED
Oxford: Talks Marc Koska: 1.3m reasons to re-invent the syringe
Marc then met with Anbumani Ramadoss
, India’s State Minister for Health, who decided to outlaw the use of ordinary syringes, making auto-disable syringes mandatory - initially in Central Government Hospitals with regional State-controlled facilities to follow and, later, in private hospitals as part of a second phase – throughout the whole of India.
Making the Point is a SafePoint-produced video report on the campaign, culminating in Dr Ramadoss's landmark decision.
Marc's SafePoint team is currently planning to target Africa next.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
was born in Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
on 14 March 1961.
He is best known for inventing the non-reusable K1 auto-disable syringe
Syringe
A syringe is a simple pump consisting of a plunger that fits tightly in a tube. The plunger can be pulled and pushed along inside a cylindrical tube , allowing the syringe to take in and expel a liquid or gas through an orifice at the open end of the tube...
, thus preventing the medical transmission of blood-borne diseases.
Biography
He attended Stowe SchoolStowe School
Stowe School is an independent school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire. It was founded on 11 May 1923 by J. F. Roxburgh, initially with 99 male pupils. It is a member of the Rugby Group and Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school is also a member of the G20 Schools Group...
in Buckingham, and then traveled for several years with a short period working in the City of London. He skied, sailed and worked his way around Europe, US and the Caribbean. In the Caribbean he worked as a model maker of scenes of crime to be used in courts.
As of 2001, Koska lives in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with his wife Anna Koska and their three children.
K1 Syringe
In 1984 Koska read a newspaper article predicting the transmission of HIVHIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
through the reuse of needles
Hypodermic needle
A hypodermic needle is a hollow needle commonly used with a syringe to inject substances into the body or extract fluids from it...
and syringes. Koska was fascinated by the problem and vowed to do something about it. He studied how drug addicts used syringes in the UK, went to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
to learn about Public Health Policy, visited several syringe factories, studied plastic injection moulding, and read everything available on the transmission of viruses like HIV.
After a year of intense study, he concluded that syringe manufacture was the key to the problem. Koska designed a syringe (K1) that could be made on existing equipment with a small modification. It was made from the same materials and could be used in the same way as a normal syringe so that healthcare professionals would not have to retrain. K1 syringes cannot be used again so the next patient will also have a sterile and safe injection.
Koska recognized that new syringes were only one part of the solution. One must also teach the public about the dangers of reusing needles. In 2005 Koska founded The SafePoint Trust
The SafePoint Trust
The Safepoint Trust is a UK registered charity, no. 1119073, that focuses on injection safety. Its aim is to educate people, worldwide, to ensure that the billions of medical injections given each year are given safely. The charity was founded by the inventor Marc Koska, OBE in 2006.-External...
, a registered charity dedicated to educating children about this issue.
On 23 July 2009, Marc gave a lecture on his life-saving invention to TED
TED (conference)
TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
Oxford: Talks Marc Koska: 1.3m reasons to re-invent the syringe
2008 India Campaign
In November 2008, Marc and a SafePoint Trust team led a major media and public-awareness campaign throughout India in an attempt to do something about the prevalence of unsafe injections and the resultant illness and death that they cause in that country. They traveled throughout India giving their One Injection, One Syringe message to the media at press conferences for over a week. In addition, a specially made PSA entitled Sachin (in both English and Hindi) was repeatedly shown on television channels, radio stations and cinemas across the country. Watch the Sachin PSA in English; Sachin PSA in Hindi. As a result, SafePoint's message achieved widespread coverage throughout India.Marc then met with Anbumani Ramadoss
Anbumani Ramadoss
Dr Anbumani Ramadoss had been the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India from May, 2004 till he resigned his post in April 2009 and is a member of Parliament from the Rajya Sabha he belongs to the Pattali Makkal Katchi. Born on 9 October 1968 in Puducherry, Anbumani...
, India’s State Minister for Health, who decided to outlaw the use of ordinary syringes, making auto-disable syringes mandatory - initially in Central Government Hospitals with regional State-controlled facilities to follow and, later, in private hospitals as part of a second phase – throughout the whole of India.
Making the Point is a SafePoint-produced video report on the campaign, culminating in Dr Ramadoss's landmark decision.
Marc's SafePoint team is currently planning to target Africa next.