Born: 14 March 1961
Known for: Marc Andrew Koska OBE is best known for inventing the non-reusable K1 auto-disable syringe, thus preventing the medical transmission of blood-borne diseases.
In 1984 Koska read a newspaper article predicting the transmission of HIV 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, Koska 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 recognised 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.
Bournemouth Connection: Marc was born in Bournemouth.
Geocache Information: Located in Fawley Green, this cache has been placed with kind permission from BCP council.
Series Information: This is one of 10 geocaches in the Bournemouth People (2021) series. Nine caches are stand-alone traditional caches. Each cache found will provide one of three bonus clues, which will reveal the coordinates for the tenth mystery cache. With only three clues to collect, you do not need to find all the caches in this series in order to have the information for the final, so if you are unable to find one, you should still be able to get the coordinates required. For the purpose of this series, please note that the bonus clues are numbered ‘Bonus Clue 4’, ‘Bonus Clue 5’, and ‘Bonus Clue 6’, to avoid confusion with caches found in other Bournemouth People series.
The Complete 2021 Series
Millie Bobby-Brown
Dai Dower
Tony Blackburn
Gerald Durrell
Marc Koska
Charles Gray
Virginia Wade
Leilani Dowding
Ken Baily
Frank Prentice