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The LEAPS programme is a cross-generational strategy supporting learning and development for young children and female youth (18 to 24-year-olds). The LEAPS programme recruits female youth, provides vocational training to them, to deliver a community-based preschool programme and a community engagement strategy to catalyze local demand for early childhood care and education. In scaling-up, the LEAPS Program…

Issue Globally, 2.5 billion people cannot afford proper waste collection services. In addition, inefficient cooking with low-quality charcoal leads to indoor air pollution, from which nearly 2 million people die prematurely every year. Solution This project tackled the dual health challenges of uncollected urban municipal waste and indoor air pollution. TakaTaka Solutions collects previously uncollected…and processes it to high-quality charcoal. The project focused on developing the waste collection services and bringing the charcoal to market. TakaTaka Solutions sought to achieve proof-of-concept for two aspects of its business model:  affordable waste management services in low-income areas, and validating the market for bio-charcoal made from organic waste. Outcome The project was…and Kawangware. Bio-charcoal was sold to 5,000 households. Through TakaTaka’s removal of all waste and provision of sanitary bins on the plots, residents benefitted from having a significantly cleaner environment and saw a reduction of health hazards stemming from waste (stagnant waste water, infected roaming animals, emissions from waste-burning, etc.) Sale of the bio-charcoal meant…

Adolescents in India face barriers to accurate and constructive information about sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The "flipped classroom" provides SRHR information via mobile app, and allows students to study the material privately at home at their own pace.Class time is then used for questions, deeper learning, analysis, clarification, and discourse with a skilled facilitator such as a teacher or health professional. The project integrates technology and high mobile penetration in…

Issue Less than 50% of Ugandan women have access to postpartum care, drastically increasing the risk of maternal morbidity and mortality in the first week after delivery. There is a lack of data and literature on postpartum care in Uganda, making it difficult to improve service delivery. Solution The ‘Propelling Motherhood’ project addressed maternal and…and Luwero Health Centre. They utilized home visits in order to improve access to care and work within the cultural structures of families. An mHealth app was designed to provide TBAs with clinical decision support and improve accountability processes. TBAs also used the app to collect data. Outcome 591 babies received 4 in-home visits that assessed breast feeding and attachment, breathing patterns,…care. 992 parents received 4 in-home visits that addressed aspects of safe motherhood and care. 49 mothers and babies were referred to health facilities to receive care for more complex health concerns. A total of 30 staff were trained on safe motherhood techniques and how to recognize clinical postpartum danger signs for mothers and babies.…

Issue Accurate and timely pathology reporting is necessary for physicians to effectively manage and treat cancer patients, yet this relatively simple but key part of care is absent or delayed in many parts of the world. Solution Implemented in Kenya, the project developed a model of cancer pathology delivery in Kenya by focusing on retinoblastoma …from the service, which ultimately also affected 453 family members. Local capacity has been built in Kenya in retinoblastoma management through the Kenyan National Retinoblastoma Strategy (KNRbS) group, attracting start-up resources for the development of the central pathology lab and Kenyan experts to lead it. Knowledge was widely disseminated through publications such as Lancet Oncology…

…every year, the majority being children below the age of five, in developing countries such as Kenya and India. Approximately 88% of diarrheal disease worldwide is attributed to the contamination of drinking water by microbial pathogens. Presence of pathogens (such as Escherichia coli O157:H7) in food and water has a devastating impact on health worldwide but, in remote locations and developing countries, quality monitoring is more difficult, due to the lack of infrastructure and poor testing. Solution The project involved the design of a paper-based device for the culturing and electrochemical detection of bacteria in food and water for use in low-resource settings. The team also worked to combine electrochemical quantification and bacterial culture…

…(sepsis, malaria, dengue, ebola) or severe dehydration from diarrhea. It is also common in post-partum hemorrhage and pre-eclampsia, with poor outcomes in settings such as Tanzania, due to lack of an adequate healthcare infrastructure and blood supply. If AKI goes unrecognized, it can result in severe kidney damage and death due to chronic kidney failure. Management of chronic kidney failure is a challenge in…no dialysis facilities to treat the population needing long-term treatment. Solution The objective of this project was to develop or source a commercially available, low-cost, point-of-care test for use in low-resource settings to measure kidney function at the bedside, combined with a non-physician health worker education and training program for health facilities in the Kilimanjaro…

Issue A total of 3.3% of Kenya’s 40 million people have diabetes. The disease is managed through treatment with insulin, which is unaffordable to the majority of the affected population. Solution An exploratory study was undertaken to evaluate the nutritional and anti-diabetic properties of the plant Opuntia spp. in Kenya, with the broad aim of identifying compounds that could be used as alternative treatment for diabetes. The specific aims of this Phase I study were to: 1.    Assess the indigenous technical knowledge on the uses of Opuntia varieties among communities living in…

Issue Billions of people still lack the essentials of a healthy existence and meaningful self-empowerment (food, water, medications, education and a reliable form of income and means to contribute more fully to society). Providing rural communities with reliable electricity can help alleviate some of these imbalances. Solution The project was centred on a small-scale hydro project in the rural village of Ghodasin, in Jumla, Nepal. The project team designed and tested a prototype version of the Distributed Electronic Load Controller (DELC), to be placed in each home. While a communal hydroelectric generator still provides electricity, the…50 analog Distributed Electronic Load Controllers; 130 water filters, 92 cooking stoves,10 latrines and 24 greenhouses. The project team has discussed the best organizational structure to scale up the project and to extend it to include Ethiopia, as the mountainous north of Ethiopia bears many similarities with Nepal in that there are poor, remote villages with…

The Hospital to Home project aims to develop and trial a holistic, low-cost, family-centred discharge package for low-resource settings, to support high-risk infants during the first 1,000 days. The project will both strengthen discharge processes and bridge the community–facility divide with an outreach network of highly trained Village Health Teams, which will identify issues and …