Product/Service Development

Mental health is a crucial aspect of human health that can influence any health-related decision and behavior. Still, mental health issues are neglected in Bangladesh. The burden of mental health disorders is rising. Around 19% of adults and 13% of children are identified as having at least one mental disorder with only about 1.6 psychiatrics per 1 million people. The number of nurses, psychologists, and health facilities are also insufficient and mostly centered around major cities. Coastal areas are often left behind in terms of health and preventive services.

According to the Health Epidemiological Surveillance System, people in Comuna 13 in Cali have the highest hospitalization rates in the city related to vector borne diseases such as Dengue, Zika and Chikunguña and suffer from respiratory diseases, product of the contamination of the water in the wetlands of “Charco Azul” and “El Pondaje” in the region. This contamination results from wastewater dumping, urban growth, unawareness and inadequate solid waste management.

En 2021, l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé a recensé 247 millions de cas de paludisme et 619 000 décès dus au paludisme dans le monde. La Région africaine de l'OMS compte 95% des cas de paludisme et 96 % des décès dus au paludisme. Les enfants de moins de 5 ans constituent le groupe le plus vulnérable, représentant 80% de tous les décès. L'utilisation de moustiquaires imprégnées d'insecticide et de pulvérisations intradomicilaire à effet rémanent a réduit de près de moitié le fardeau du paludisme dans toute l'Afrique subsaharienne.

Undernutrition and household food insecurity remain a challenge in Rwanda. Despite the recent nationally improved living conditions, over 18% population experiences chronic food insecurity. Most food-insecure households have limited or no access to sufficient, nutritious food needed to live a healthy life leading to various types of malnutrition and increased risk of illnesses. Currently, 33.1% of children under 5 years are stunted, with 6.7% suffering from acute malnutrition.

Asthma is a noncommunicable diseases that affects all age groups, especially children and adolescents. Estimated prevalence of childhood asthma in India reported to be as high as 29%. India accounts for more than 40% of global asthma deaths as per the 2019 Global Burden of Disease report. According to WHO, childhood asthma is commonly underdiagnosed, especially in lower and middle-income countries. This is mainly because of poor awareness among parents and school teachers, and the limited availability of diagnostic methods like spirometry during school health check-ups.

In Kenya, the frequency and intensity of droughts have increased, which is putting a strain on the country's food supply. This is particularly concerning in the arid and semi-arid regions of the country, where the majority of the population relies on agriculture for their livelihoods. Malnutrition is a major public health concern in low-income and food-insecure communities. The WFP has acknowledged that the food distribution network is fragmented and inefficient, which can make it difficult to get food to the people who need it.

Access to clean and safe water is a major issue worldwide. UNICEF reports that daily, over 700 children under 5 die from water-borne diseases linked to inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene. Africa is especially impacted, with 1 in 3 citizens facing water scarcity. Many people in sub-Saharan Africa lack basic drinking water, often having to travel for 30 minutes to access it. Hand Pump boreholes have become crucial for rural water supply in Africa, serving 25% of the population but still, a significant gap remains.

Food insecurity and malnutrition especially, protein-energy, micronutrient, vitamin A, iron, iodine, folate, vitamin B12 and zinc deficiencies are prevalent in rural communities in Kenya. Severely affected are pregnant women and children under the age of 5 years. Though unstainable, provision of nutrient supplements is embraced in Kenya. In 2020, 4.5 million children aged 6 to 59 months received doses of vitamin A supplement, and over 2.9 million pregnant women were given iron and folic acid doses.

Climate change effects on maternal and neonatal health caused by heat stress, and air pollution can be detrimental in the immediate and long term. Heat exposure has been associated with the risk of low birth weight, preterm, and stillbirths. Dehydration in pregnant women can trigger the early onset of, as well as prolonged labour. Heat stress can lead to reduced blood flow and oxygen to the placenta, affecting fetal growth, it can increase blood pressure and pre-eclampsia in pregnancy, and heighten the risk of postpartum depression and posttraumatic disorder.

Household air pollution (HAP) is a leading cause for morbidity and mortality, with a huge percentage of global disease burden. HAP is a growing challenge in Africa where more than 83% of residents in sub-Saharan Africa continue to use solid fuel for cooking. Other sources of HAP are particulate matter, ozone, and volatile organic compounds. HAP and ambient air pollution accounted for about 800,000 and 398000 deaths in Africa region respectively.