Maternal, Newborn, and Adolescent Health

This 18-month project aims to improve early childhood development (ECD) outcomes of 0-2 year old children in disadvantaged cocoa farming communities of Côte d'Ivoire, where most farmers live on less than $0.5/day. DMI will trial mass media as a model for taking high impact ECD interventions to scale. Engaging radio spots and mobile films in local languages will be used to catalyse a positive shift in parental behaviours.

In this proposal, INMED will directly address the gaps in jaundice management by introducing the Bilikit, a comprehensive package of screening (Jaundice Ruler), quantitative diagnostic (Bilistick®) and phototherapy treatment (Bili-Hut™) innovations appropriate for the resource-constrained context. The goal will to be improve diagnostic and treatment capacity at downstream hospitals to avert treatment delay. CHAs will be trained to screen infants to better inform referral decisions.

The Augmented Infant Resuscitator (AIR) empowers health workers to achieve and maintain effective ventilation. It provides intuitive real-time, actionable feedback to birth attendants during ventilation. With SL@B funding, the team will complete the Product Realization Process (PRP) in partnership with Philips Healthcare vital for the global commercialization of the AIR training device. The team will demonstrate resultant impact on skills acquisition, retention and newborn outcomes.

We propose to investigate the feasibility of a needle-free method of administration for the antibiotic gentamicin via the rectal route. Under this project we would conduct laboratory release studies, preclinical rectal bioavailability studies and stakeholder interviews to assess the feasibility of novel concept. This delivery method would improve access to outpatient treatment of neonatal sepsis in areas serviced by low level healthcare providers and would remove the inherent risks associated with parenteral delivery.

PATH's novel infusion pump, the RELI Delivery System, was designed to address many of the barriers surrounding access to infusion pumps in LRS: it does not require electricity or a battery, is inexpensive to manufacture and operate, does not require expensive consumables, and has a simple user interface. We will develop a functional prototype and related job aids to share with stakeholders.

The Pratt Pouch, a foilized, polyethylene pouch (similar to a ketchup pouch) designed and proven to safely store NVP doses, offers an innovative way to expand NVP coverage. Integrating this technology into existing services will simplify dosing and ensure all HIV-positive women have access to infant NVP. The easy-to-use pouches will empower women to immediately initiate NVP after delivery and encourage them to deliver in a health facility or bring their infants for postnatal care within 14 days.

We will adapt and scale the existing Mobile WACh - a human-computer hybrid communication system, connects women and newborns to care during the most at risk period, bringing a virtual provider into the home - platform, which has demonstrated efficacy for maternal and child outcomes, to target the problems of neonatal mortality and unmet need for family planning. We will utilize the strengths of our collaborative research partners to evaluate this intervention with plans to scale into electronic medical records (EMR) country-wide.

In collaboration with the Rwandan Ministry of Health & National Research Laboratory, and our on the ground implementing partners, Nanobiosym will reduce HIV related deaths in infants by scaling up access to its novel POC nanodiagnostic platform by validating Nanobiosym's proprietary Point-of-Care Gene-RADAR® diagnostic platform's ability to measure HIV positive mothers' viral load thereby ensuring they are responding to ART and reducing their chances of transmitting HIV to their child in-utero, at birth, or during the breastfeeding period.

The SUSTAIN Package is a bundled kit of interventions which empower health care workers to efficiently monitor, provide care, and review care provided during the intrapartum and immediate postpartum period. The tools in this bundle (referred to as the Safer Births Bundle) are evidence-based and align with global guidelines.

The objective of the study is to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the Odon device, a a low cost, easy to use technological innovation, in assisting vaginal delivery in singleton term pregnancies during the second stage of labor. Interim evaluation of the device for safety and feasibility showed no major severe adverse events among women or infants enrolled in the study. The experience suggests that the device is easy to use and allows successful expulsion of the baby.