Maternal, Newborn, and Adolescent Health

The Philippines has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in SE Asia, growing from 6.5% in 1996 to 10% in 2013, with higher values among rural and poor areas.[UN PopulationFund] Many of these were unplanned largely due to lack of information since the culture prevents discussion. 75% of maternal deaths happen to teens, while a fifth of fetal deaths are attributed to it.

Le petit poids de naissance (PPN) et la prématurité représentent 10% des naissances dans le monde et 50% de la mortalité néonatale dans les pays pauvres. 50% ne naissent pas dans des institutions capables de les prendre en charge et les garder dans la communauté est un risque élevé mais les moyens de transport sont souvent inexistants. Quand ils sont transférés, la mortalité précoce des premières 48 heures est souvent due ou accélérée par l’hypothermie et l’hypoglycémie présentées à l’arrivée

Uterine fibroids, the most common female pelvic tumour, cause suffering in 25% of women aged 15-49. They cause pain, bleeding and often infertility.The dominant treatment is hysterectomy, involving surgical removal of the uterus. These invasive surgeries cause infertility, scarring and long recovery times. They require a sterile operating and recovery room. Ureteral injury major side effects occur in 2.2% to 3% of cases. Hospital stay is 2-5 days and return to normal activity is 44 days.

Despite recent improvements in health indicators in Myanmar, maternal mortality ratio and gap in family planning (FP) service uptake is still high compared to the neighboring countries in the region. It is largely due to limited access to information and majority of women are not fully informed about all the methods they could use and half of them have not seen or heard any family planning message in the media.

Due to the violence of Boko Haram in northern Nigeria, over 2 million people, namely women and children have fled their homes. There is a lack of maternal healthcare resources due to insecurity, leaving mothers without any healthcare. For survivors of sexual violence, pregnancy can be a traumatizing experience without support structures of family and community. Unaddressed trauma can lead to delivery complications and as a result an increased risk of maternal mortality.

Young girls out of school in Central Tanzania (Iringa Region) are exposed to risks of teenage pregnancies (maternal deaths), new HIV/AIDS infections and child marriages. Girls who are school dropouts are more exposed to these risks. They are staying idle in the streets or running informal businesses which have zero chance of scaling and creating societal impact (employing others or raising their income). Due to poverty older male exploit them in a promise of providing them with economic relief.

Cervical cancer is the 2nd largest cause of cancer deaths in women around the world. Globally 288000 women die of cervical cancer.In India 74000 females succumb, which is 1/3rd of the global burden. Most of these deaths are preventable. While methods like Pap and HPV DNA test are employed for cervical screening, they need a lab, trained manpower and suffer with many drawbacks. Thus there is a critical need for a rapid, accurate and low cost diagnostic test that can be used at the point of care.

As a result of health inequalities created by poverty, up to 21,400 Tanzanian women currently live with obstetric fistula(1), with an estimated 3,000 more developing the condition each year(2). More than 85% of these women lose their baby in childbirth(3). Due to social stigma, limited knowledge of available treatment and the condition itself, affected women are often rejected by their communities and live in isolation, making their identification and referral for treatment a major challenge.

All pregnant women deserve expert assessment & information to empower their decisions concerning care. Unfortunately, in Benue State, Nigeria, many women lack information about pregnancy risks & delivery options, & 50% deliver at home. Midwives with limited training attend most women who seek care. Caregiver decisions & care-seeking choices are key contributors to Nigeria’s exceedingly high maternal & neonatal mortality. Many deaths are avoidable with improved diagnostics, training & outreach.

Birth Asphyxia complications impact a very large number of Newborns every year resulting in high Morbidity & Mortality. Over 7 million Newborns are affected every year globally. Currently there is no effective means to diagnose the severity of Asphyxia to enable initiation of early treatment. This delay in diagnosis results in grievous damage to the Newborn's brain resulting in death or long term neurological sequelae like Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation, Learning disabilities etc.