Health Diagnostics

This project proposes to empower parents and care givers in rural communities, by providing information about ante natal and pre-natal practices as well as parenting for holistic development of children in the first 1000 days of life through animated videos. The videos will be based on a guide book on Learning Through Play (LTP) developed by Bala Mandir Research Foundation (BMRF) and the Network for Information on Parenting with support from UNICEF.

BRAC Institute of Educational Development (BIED) will improve the self-regulation and executive functioning skills of children ages 2 to 3 from low income households in rural areas of Bangladesh by educating mothers through group sessions on playful engagement with their children. By studying the effectiveness of early stimulation, through a randomized controlled trial, the results will provide significant insight into and shape future interventions in the field of early childhood development.

Attollo’s Talking Stickers (TS) provide quality, play-based and measurable early learning for children (0-6). TS TALK, SING and READ in any language or dialect, without internet, making it an intervention feasible to scale. TS is a low-cost solution that can be used by caregivers regardless of their literacy level, to help children reach their full cognitive potential and get them ready for primary school. TS deliver culturally/locally accepted curricula for use at home as well as in centre-based settings. At home, TS encourage and support rich caregiver-child interactions.

Kenya is in a malnutrition crisis. Over 1/4 of the children <5 years in Kenya are stunted due to lack of nutrients, impairing their physical growth and brain development [1]. The first 1000 days—from the start of a woman’s pregnancy until her child’s 2nd birthday—comprise the critical window for adequate nutrition in a child’s life [2]. Monitoring nutrient levels in the mother and child during this window is essential, but most Kenyan mothers lack access to regular nutrition screening.

Rapid diagnostic test for urinary adipsin biomarker-based test for improving PE screening in low resource settings

Development of the Aspect connectivity platform/ software and a portable connectivity unit that enables users to understand what devices are diagnosing and take action. With easy-to-use dashboards and alerts, health systems can respond to disease as soon as they get results.

Development of one-drop-of-blood quantitative POC tests for DENV and ZIKV. The solution consists of a reader, and single-use blood test cartridges, specifically designed for targeting different viruses. The VIRO-Track cartridges have been designed and developed to be the first quantitative rapid tests able to quickly and accurately diagnose dengue, zika and chikungunya, using a single drop of blood.

Development of rapid assays with reagents stable to heat and humidity without refrigeration. The device can be operated by non-experts, and can transfer results using wi-fi. MAP uses a self-contained sample card that performs multiplexed nucleic acid tests, sequencing, and immunoassay test types.

Hypertension is a largely unrecognized epidemic in Africa. The number of hypertensive patients in 2008 and 2025 is estimated at 74.7 and 125.5 million, respectively - a 68% increase. Because the majority of Africa is affected by poor health infrastructure and low numbers of health workers, attempts to prevent and treat hypertension are nearly non-existent.

Hypertension is a largely unrecognized epidemic in Africa. The number of hypertensive patients in 2008 and 2025 is estimated at 74.7 and 125.5 million, respectively - a 68% increase. Because the majority of Africa is affected by poor health infrastructure and low numbers of health workers, attempts to prevent and treat hypertension are nearly non-existent.