Repository of problems worth solving
World Solve is a public institutional repository for identifying real unresolved problems across science, society, health, governance, economics, and local systems. Each entry is intended to be citable, inspectable, and actionable.
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4194Total
4194Open
0Solved
9Humans
Rapid expansion of fish farming to meet protein demand has led to water pollution and frequent disease die-offs that hurt small farmers. Better aquaculture management training and disease-monitoring tools could improve sustainability.
health-biology
asia
aquaculture
sustainability
disease
freshwater
faces
overcrowding
outbreaks
rapid
expansion
climate-environment
global-unspecified
whether
non
water
mathematics-logic
african
open
Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa
Stockouts of antiretrovirals are common due to weak logistics and donor dependency. Local manufacturing and predictive supply-chain software could reduce treatment interruptions.
technology-computing
africa
sub-saharan-africa
supply-chain
carries
world
hiv
burden
but
drug
supply
chains
remain
global-unspecified
economics-resources
african
whether
health-biology
Health systems built around infectious disease are not equipped for chronic care, and screening tools are scarce outside cities. Affordable point-of-care diagnostics and community health worker training could close the gap.
health-biology
africa
infectious-disease
non-communicable
diseases
like
diabetes
hypertension
rising
fast
but
underdiagnosed
health
global-unspecified
whether
society-governance
systems
affordable
open
Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa
Unreliable electricity spoils vaccines before they reach children, contributing to preventable disease outbreaks. Solar-powered refrigeration units and route-optimized delivery apps could fix last-mile gaps.
health-biology
africa
sub-saharan-africa
vaccine
cold-chain
logistics
fail
remote
african
clinics
unreliable
electricity
spoils
vaccines
cold
chain
closing
local-regional
Poor storage, lack of cold chains, and bad rural roads mean food rots before reaching markets even amid hunger. Low-cost solar cold storage and mobile market-linkage apps are viable business opportunities.
climate-environment
africa
food
post-harvest
losses
destroy
african
production
storage
cold
poor
lack
local-regional
local
vendors
without
might
actors
Banks see agriculture as too risky, leaving over 60% of African farmers without formal financing for seeds or equipment. Mobile-based micro-lending and weather-index insurance startups can fill this gap.
economics-resources
africa
farmers
insurance
smallholder
lack
access
affordable
credit
banks
see
agriculture
african
global-unspecified
climate-environment
Decades of overfarming without replenishment have depleted nutrients, and fertilizer remains too costly for most smallholders. Affordable soil-testing kits and precision fertilizer blending could reverse the trend.
climate-environment
africa
soil
degradation
reducing
crop
yields
continent
fertilizer
decades
overfarming
replenishment
global-unspecified
philosophy-ethics
affordable
whether
way
determine
Weak monitoring networks mean swarms are often detected only after major damage occurs. AI-based satellite tracking combined with SMS alerts to farmers could enable faster response.
science-space
africa
east-africa
locust
pest
outbreaks
regularly
devastate
crops
little
early
warning
weak
global-unspecified
climate-environment
social-civic-problems
rural
flash
Agriculture is seen as low-status and low-income work despite employing over half the continent's workforce. Agri-tech startups that make farming profitable and tech-enabled could reverse this trend.
economics-resources
africa
food-security
farming
youth
abandoning
urban
migration
threatening
future
food
security
agriculture
global-unspecified
climate-environment
haven
water
rural
open
Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa
Grid expansion is slow and costly in rural areas, leaving businesses and schools without power. Decentralized solar mini-grids and pay-as-you-go solar startups are proven, scalable solutions.
social-civic-problems
africa
sub-saharan-africa
over
600
million
africans
lack
access
reliable
electricity
solar
grid
rural
climate-environment
solutions
global-unspecified
african
Without affordable storage, solar power in Africa cannot run appliances at night or during cloudy periods. Local battery assembly and recycling ventures could lower costs and create jobs.
technology-computing
africa
battery
storage
solar
technology
needed
reliability
largely
imported
expensive
affordable
climate-environment
global-unspecified
whether
economics-resources
haven
power
Traditional grazing routes are drying up, fueling conflict between herders and farmers over remaining water points. Solar-powered water-point mapping and rotational grazing platforms could ease tensions.
technology-computing
africa
sahel
water
access
pastoralist
communities
shrinking
due
desertification
grazing
traditional
routes
global-unspecified
climate-environment
urban
african
asia
Over 90 million children are not enrolled in school, driven by poverty, conflict, and distance to schools. Low-cost offline-capable e-learning tablets could reach remote learners cheaply.
economics-resources
africa
children
has
world
highest
rate
out-of-school
over
million
not
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
education
low
school
remain
asia
Many African students finish primary school without basic literacy or numeracy due to overcrowded classrooms and undertrained teachers. Structured pedagogy programs paired with teacher-coaching apps show strong results.
social-civic-problems
africa
school
learning
outcomes
remain
low
even
children
enrolled
african
students
might
local
actors
global-unspecified
Chronic underfunding and brain drain limit local scientific contribution despite talent. Diaspora-linked research funding platforms could channel more resources into African institutions.
society-governance
africa
research
university
output
remains
tiny
fraction
total
chronic
global-unspecified
technology-computing
mathematics-logic
philosophy-ethics
african
whether
open
United States, North America
Menstrual hygiene management gaps and long, unsafe commutes push girls out of the education system permanently. Affordable reusable sanitary pad manufacturing and school-proximity boarding models can help retention.
social-civic-problems
north-america
united-states
girls
out
sanitary
regions
drop
school
puberty
due
lack
products
secondary
reducing
education
global-unspecified
african
Without connectivity, students cannot access digital learning resources that could supplement scarce textbooks and teachers. Low-orbit satellite internet and community Wi-Fi hubs are emerging fixes.
social-civic-problems
africa
internet
connectivity
schools
remains
rare
outside
major
cities
students
cannot
digital
access
technology-computing
global-unspecified
inclusive
african
Without hands-on science and coding exposure, students struggle to compete in tech-driven economies. Portable lab kits and shared community coding hubs could democratize access.
social-civic-problems
africa
stem
education
infrastructure
like
labs
computers
scarce
african
schools
coding
access
global-unspecified
remains
students
rural
urban
Traditional banks avoid low-income and rural customers due to high servicing costs, leaving many without savings or credit access. Mobile money platforms have proven the model, but rural agent networks still need expansion.
economics-resources
africa
over
half
population
remains
unbanked
underbanked
rural
traditional
banks
global-unspecified
access
african
urban
asia
low
Sending money between African countries often requires routing through international currencies, adding fees and delays. Pan-African digital payment rails aligned with AfCFTA could cut costs dramatically.
technology-computing
africa
cross-border
payments
slow
costly
sending
money
between
african
countries
global-unspecified
digital
economics-resources
whether
asia
