Product/Service Development

Saifuddin Ahmed of Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. will develop and test a low-cost, reusable warming jacket for use in preventing hypothermia in preterm babies. The jacket uses the non-toxic salt solution currently used for hand warmers and muscle pain relief pads and could be used in tandem with Kangaroo Mother Care in developing countries where electricity and incubators are not available.

Shulin Chen of Washington State University in the U.S. will develop a low-cost microalgae technology using agricultural byproducts to produce the fatty acid DHA and the carotenoid lutein, which helps prevents DHA oxidation. DHA and lutein will be microencapsulated for use as a nutritional supplement by pregnant and nursing mothers in an effort to enhance early stage child development and prevent disease.

Daniel Nixon and colleagues at Virginia Commonwealth University in the U.S. will test the theory that gut bacterial flora (microbiome) and nutrition influence inflammation, immune activation, and HIV disease progression. The team will determine whether a safe, inexpensive probiotic bacteria oral supplement can treat an abnormal gut microbiome and attenuate immune system deterioration in HIV-infected Malian women.

Luna Kamau of the Kenya Medical Research Institute in Kenya will investigate how feeding on selected compounds affects male Anopheles mosquito fertility and subsequently, mating competiveness. The compounds could be presented in sugar meals or introduced into larval breeding sites to control mosquito population densities, thereby reducing malaria transmission.

Sergey Shevkoplyas, Lakhinder Kamboj, and Noshir Pesika of Tulane University in the U.S. will develop a microfabricated bidirectional membrane that can be placed in the mother's vagina just prior to delivery to facilitate the baby's passage through the birth canal. This simple-to-use device could significantly improve outcomes during vaginal deliveries in resource limited settings.

Frans Walther of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute in the U.S. will adapt a low-cost synthetic lung surfactant for aerosol delivery as a non-invasive and simple method to support breathing in premature infants. Surfactant is composed of lipids and proteins, and keeps the lungs open during expiration. It is normally administered to premature infants with breathing difficulties by tracheal intubation, which can be problematic in low-resource settings and cause side effects.

Dawn Smith of Temptime Corporation in the U.S. will develop a low-cost vial-level indicator device that provides a signal not only when vaccines have had brief but damaging exposure to high temperatures, but also have reached a cumulative heat exposure threshold. The integrated device would provide health care workers a comprehensive indication as to whether a vaccine has been damaged by heat and should therefore not be used.

Yoav Eichen of Freshpoint Holdings SA in Switzerland will explore new technologies for use in the development of a printable label for vaccine vials to indicate when they have been exposed to temperatures below a set threshold, which would compromise activity. The label will be printed using low-end, low-cost printing techniques and will be compatible with other printed temperature indicators.

Lauren Braun of Alma Sana Inc. in the U.S. will develop and field test in Peru a simple, inexpensive immunization tracking bracelet that can be worn by babies and that uses numbers and symbols instead of written instructions to track the types and dates of vaccinations required. This bracelet will help remind resource-poor Peruvian mothers of the dates of their babies' childhood vaccination appointments, remind the healthcare workers which vaccines are needed, and increase the efficiency and rate of childhood vaccination.

Anand Narasimhan of the Simha Foundation in the U.S. will develop a program that encourages immunization and financial planning by using an incentive-based game that engages mothers both in the developed world and in disadvantaged communities. Mothers with financial resources will be encouraged to deposit small amounts of money in an interest-bearing account to create savings accounts for disadvantaged mothers, who will gain access to the accounts when they attend immunization campaign events.