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…with a maternal mortality ratio of 438 per 100,000 live births. The most vulnerable of pregnant mothers and newborns live in the rural communities, and the risks to morbidity and mortality are compounded by the known three delays: at home, in transit and in health facilities. Despite the widespread use of modern technology in communication in many…information technology. Specific objectives of the project were: To install and activate four toll-free hotlines in four rural Ugandan hospitals, where vulnerable mothers can reach the health facilities for care and advice, especially in the case of emergenciesTo establish a functional communication system among health workers within the same health facility using mobile cell phonesTo set up a functional emergency communication system among health facilities within the same catchment area, using the business caller user groups model. Pregnant mothers, their partners, and other key community members…

Issue More than six million children in India today live with a disability. The World Health Organization (WHO) 2011 report on disability emphasized that early intervention (EI) programs for developmentally delayed children under the age of five are critical to improving long-term function.Unfortunately, EI therapy remains inaccessible for most children in rural India because they live too far from centres where rehabilitation specialists work. Lack of EI…EI therapy, provided by CRWs assisted by the mVBRI application. In addition, 71 children underwent therapy at an Early Intervention Parents Participation Centre, where children and family support groups are brought to one central location for rehabilitation services. Outcome Using validated assessment tools, developmental scores were tracked for children pre- and post-therapy in various domains of development. Data analysis showed statistically significant improvements in developmental scores overall for children in all functional categories involved. In addition, 38 children improved sufficiently to be enrolled in neighborhood government schools. The dashboard…rehabilitation professionals without frequent travel to the field ·         Increased effectiveness in program delivery, as reflected in high participation and engagement rates, and parent feedback reports ·         Promotion of greater engagement of people with disability and special needs in society. The team found that the application can be used not only for EI services, but…

Issue Amputees in low-income countries do not have access to prosthetic care because of poor healthcare infrastructure, economic hardship and the limited availability of prosthetic components. The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of amputees live in low-income countries, yet only 5% of amputees have access to prosthetic care. For people missing an upper-limb, the lack of a prosthesis is a major disability that affects their quality of life. Solution The aim of the Victoria Hand Project (VHP) is to create…prostheses. The system is centred on the Victoria Hand:  a complete, upper-limb, body-powered prosthesis consisting of a hand, a wrist unit, a limb-socket and a harness. It’s specifically designed for production in low-income countries where it is needed. Using 3D printing, 3D laser scanning and 3D computer software, the system allows in-country technicians to produce a…

Issue Each year, Sub-Saharan Africa countries incur huge post-harvest grain losses valued at $4 billion USD, due to insect infestation and mold infection. Serious health hazards are linked to aflatoxin, a type of myotoxin produced by molds. Farmers respond to these challenges by mixing their grain with insecticides, which are dangerous for human consumption. Better storage methods are needed that effectively preserve the quality of the grain. Solution The project sought to demonstrate that hermetic storage bags could be…triple-layer plastic bags prevent grain damage and losses caused by insects on maize in rural on-farm stores and also prevent aflatoxin accumulation. This work convinced their target group of farmers that hermetic bags were an effective tool for managing grain storage losses and aflatoxin contamination, without the need to use chemical substances. Through the project…

Issue An obstacle to better management of HIV in the developing world is the lack of mass testing, due to insufficient trained staff, clinics and hospitals. An enormous step forward would be to provide health providers and even the general public with their own, inexpensive, easy-to-use HIV detection meter, which would drastically reduce the lag time before…– to detect and quantify antibodies that are diagnostic of HIV infection and progression. To transduce the presence of the anti-HIV antibodies into an electrochemical current, the team designed a novel DNA-switch that is activated by antibody binding. When activated, this switch separates an electro donor/acceptor element from an electrode, leading to a decrease in the…antibodies directly in whole blood in less than five minutes. In this project, the team sought to optimize the signalling mechanism of the switch and to adapt the meter for the detection of HIV antibodies by replacing test-epitopes by commonly used, standard HIV epitopes, such as the fragment 604–615 of the HIV protein gp41. The intent was…A further investment of around $500,000 $ to $1,000,000 is required to complete the optimisation and testing of the prototype This new DNA-based technology generates sufficient electrochemical signals to support its adaptation on inexpensive potentiostats (e.g., in the range of 40 uAmp/cm2 of electrode). It was also demonstrated that this DNA-based technology enables the rapid (five minute) detection…

Issue Children hospitalized for serious infections in Africa have a very high post-discharge mortality rate. Doctors and parents are often unaware of this period of high vulnerability, and are poorly equipped to identify or handle recurrent illness. Solution The Post-Discharge Survival Project sought to improve the outcomes of children following hospital discharge through two stages. Firstly, through the development…following discharge. Utilizing their prior research on post-discharge mortality in Uganda, the research team developed predictive models, so that children could be classified into low- and high-risk groups prior to hospital discharge. Improved access to mobile phone technology will enable any health worker to easily access and use these complex models, to ensure that children at…Research Team, the PARA app underwent testing in Uganda with 30 front-line health workers (doctors, nurses, clinical officers) for the purpose of evaluating user performance and improving design and function. During the second stage, a discharge kit prototype composed of two components was developed. The first component was educational, whereby a nurse – using a storyboard-style,…

Issue In Tanzania, diarrheal disease accounts for 9% of all deaths in children less than five years old. Only 24% of the population of Tanzania has access to improved sanitation and there is inadequate fecal sludge management. An additional problem in Tanzania is limited agricultural productivity for small-hold farmers and the expense of commercial mineral fertilizers. Solution The aim of this study was to design a novel rice husk-fired stove to heat-sterilize fecal sludge leachate, to make safe fecal fertilizer products for commercial purposes. A pilot study, consisting of a cross-sectional survey…entrepreneur could run a treatment site and service their local village (1,500 people) effectively. The team plans to apply for Phase II Transition To Scale funding to scale up and replicate the fecal sludge treatment business in 12 additional villages. The District Water and Sewerage Corporations in the focus regions are interested in assisting in the…

Issue In government-owned healthcare facilities in western Kenya, it is common for medications to be out of stock. As a result, patients have to resort to the private sector for their medications, which are more expensive, less accessible and often of unknown quality. Solution Implemented in Kenya, the project sought to improve access to quality …access to pharmaceuticals, AMPATH partnered with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to implement a Revolving Fund Pharmacy (RFP) at each health facility. These pharmacies act as a back-up and provide medication to patients only when they are out of stock at the MOH pharmacy. Patient co-pays are slightly higher than government co-pays, but substantially lower…

Issue A number of factors contribute to unhealthy eating habits of many of those on a low income in Medellin, Columbia. These include a lack of accessibility to affordable, nutritious food, excessive consumption of fried foods (often in overused oil), consumption of processed food that is high in additives, sugar or salt, and a low…would change their unhealthy eating habits if presented with healthy and affordable alternatives. The main activities completed during the project included: ·   Creation of a training centre for low-income culinary social entrepreneurs, with functioning kitchen and public space where project participants learn and sell ·   Testing and standardization of five salt- and sugar-free base sauces…

Issue Breast cancer kills approximately 500,000 women every year, with almost 58% of these deaths in developing countries. The current gold standard for breast cancer detection is based on fragile, x-ray-based imaging systems that require highly trained personnel to carry out the procedure and to interpret the results. Solution The main goal of this project was to use quantum physics and cell phone technology to develop a portable breast cancer detection system prototype that could be used in remote communities by people with minimal or no technical training. The team designed and assembled the enclosure and mechanical components of the portable breast cancer detection system. This system is designed to illuminate the breast using microwave signals, with a…