Doha was among 60 countries competing in the international innovation event.

Qatar claimed the bronze medal in the fifth edition of the Korea International Youth Olympiad (KIYO) 2020 on Thursday, a contest catered for aspiring innovators in international schools and universities.

KIYO was held remotely by the World Women Inventors and Entrepreneurs Association (WWIEA) as part of its efforts to raise awareness about innovation. Around 60 countries participated in this years edition of KIYO which took place between September 20 and October 12.

The bronze medal was awarded to Abdul Hadi Jaber Jallab, a student from Jassim bin Hamad Secondary School for Boys, for his research titled “The Effect of Silver Nanoparticles Socks on the Treatment of Diabetic Foot.”

Jallab’s research was mentored by Sherif Bahgat Al-Sorory, research supervisor, and Thamer Bahgat Al-Sorory, research coordinator.

“There are not enough words to describe how great I feel. When I represent my homeland and win a medal in such a prestigious international event like this, that’s indescribable,” said Jallab.

Jallab’s winning project was based on the significant increase in the number of diabetes patients from 108 million people in 1980 to over 422 million people in 2017, according to the statistics released by the World Health Organization.

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Due to diabetics’ proneness to foot ulcers that can lead to amputations and further life-threatening complications, Jallab’s research presented the idea of producing socks with silver nitrate nanoparticles from vegetable sources that can rapidly heal wounds, preventing them from getting infected.

His research mixed concentrations of silver nitrate with watercress extract to produce silver nanoparticles. The socks, containing the nanoparticles, were later placed on a 2-mm deep wound mimicked on the foot of diabetic mice to check the time taken for healing.

The results of the experiment demonstrated that silver nanoparticles are highly effective in healing the wounds.

KIYO aims to foster global leaders through creativity, moral courage and teamwork, while supporting talents that will lead the creative economy era. The contest also works to broaden horizons with the exchange of students from all over the world, seeking young talents who will lead the future intellectual property society.

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