Maternal, Newborn, and Adolescent Health

Our project aims to develop a low-cost and portable hematology analyzer as a screening tool for several key global health diseases including parasitic infections (viral, bacterial, fungal, and helminths), micronutrient deficiency (Iron, Vitamin A, and Vitamin B12), and hemoglobinopathies (sickle cell, thalassemia, and G6PD).

In Bolivia, 33% of women of childbearing age, 59.8% of children under five and 78% of children under two have anemia. Iron deficiency affects more than 50% of the indigenous population and 80% of indigenous children under two.  At least 11% of young children in Bolivia suffer from Vitamin A deficiency.  This project will produce a cultivation and consumption plan for green cañahua plants (Chenopodium pallidicaule Allen) to increase the availability of high-quality protein, iron, calcium and Vitamin A in the diet of women and children in highland regions.

In Haiti, many women and children suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, and the growth of 20% of children is stunted. This project aims to build the capacity of a local social enterprise to bring to market a fortified infant cereal that meets the World Health Organization (WHO) standards. The key to success is the integrated approach with the development of a business plan and social marketing strategy that will engage local stakeholders to strengthen the supply chain by improving agricultural practices, production, marketing and distribution of the cereal.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, malnourishment affects the growth, brain development and cognitive ability of millions of children. Infants that do not receive enough omega-3 fatty acids in the womb are at the risk of developing vision and nerve problems. This project will create a source of low-cost omega-3-fatty acid eggs.

Using a device/technology that enables small-scale millers to fortify staple flours with iron and vitamin A at the local milling level, we'll improve the micronutrient health of over 500 million children/women in Africa who can't access to fortified foods.

In Tanzania, children under age two consume too little iron-rich food and anemia is widespread - about 81%. This project will supplement complimentary food with locally available Moringa Oleifera tree leaves powder, rich in essential nutrients (including Vitamin A) for improved health.

Iron is vital to early childhood health, growth and development, and for lifelong wellness, lowering the risk of diarrhea, measles, malaria and pneumonia. Yet a lack of iron is the world's most widespread micronutrient deficiency. This project will fortify a common staple - dal (dehulled lentil, pea, chickpea) - to triple iron intake in the diets of high-risk populations.

Burkina Faso remains one of the poorest countries in the world, where malnutrition affects children under five years in particular and causes 40,000 deaths per year. Social enterprise FasoPro wants to fight hunger and malnutrition by developing a diverse range of products using caterpillars' shea, a highly nutritious larva that is a widespread local resource in Burkina Faso. The approach will involve local agriculture businesses for sustainability and also improve awareness and local know-how about malnutrition.

In urban India today, AddressHealth offers primary and first-contact medical care, dental treatment, vision services, health education, nutrition, psychosocial health and chronic disease interventions to 40,000 urban children through its chain of integrated clinics and comprehensive school programs, with a goal of reaching one million children in low-income schools by 2019. The onsite program in schools is delivered by nurses, supported by a multidisciplinary child health team and a technology platform that includes televideo links and electronic school health records.

E-vouchers for veggies: reducing nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through video games and storytelling to promote behaviour change Nutrition is a vital factor in deaths caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in sub-Saharan Africa. This team of innovators wants to tackle this issue by improving nutrition knowledge through secondary school students and mothers using a gaming and storytelling platform, to promote behaviour change in healthy eating.