Product/Service Development

Hypothermia in new born health priorities is strongly emphasized and mitigation strategies are researched in high-,middle-and low income settings. It is still a critical issue in low-, and middle-income settings.A gap still exists as identified in "Establishing a value proposition for low-resource settings" by Path USA in December 2009. Products that solve this problem by instant heat generation, without the use of electricity or other means of activation currently do not exist.

Managing menstrual health in refugee camps/settlements is a big problem, as refugees often have no access to sanitary pads. Thousands of adolescent girls and women are forced to improvise with unhygienic alternatives that put their lives at risk of contracting infections. Furthermore, lack of proper menstrual health management resources make women vulnerable as they continue to miss school days and also are forced to engage in unwanted sex for money to get pads.

Poor uptake of sanitary pads in India: Preference for unhygienic methods (due to unique stigmas), no means to access/dispose of pads safely with dignity, and lack of local infrastructure to manage waste. Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) not understood as gateway for long-term reproductive, maternal, newborn, child + adolescent health (RMNCH+A): Lack of market understanding/beneficiary engagement prevents cost-effective product development and sustainable innovation across the continuum.

A Healthy Me addresses poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes among disadvantaged adolescent girls in the Philippines, including teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, and the emerging threat of online sexual exploitation. It helps overcome the significant sociocultural and political barriers to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and access to affordable, community-based government health services.

Inequities in health care system in South Sudan created uncertainties in access and use of health care services for hospital births and positively promoted home births. Lack of available Safe Delivery Kit (SDK) for home births is increasing newborn cord infections and deaths in the early days of life. Despite WHO recommendations of use of chlorohexidine (CHX) in home births where mortality is high, CHX for cord care has not been introduced and no intervention has been carried out in South Sudan

Due to ongoing conflict many basic resources such as transportation & clean water are scarce for most women in marginalized communities throughout Palestine. Thus creating waves of bad feminine hygiene practices which harm women and their reproductive health. 75% of women get a yeast infection at least once in their lifetime. Most doctors fail to distinguish between yeast & bacterial infections. We will distribute a take home vaginal health test which detects & identifies form of infection

Around 9M children do not get vaccinated in India every year and are therefore vulnerable to diseases like tuberculosis, measles, diphtheria, and etc. Not being vaccinated is more common in the rural areas of India, where 70% of the population resides. This is because there is scarce or zero provision of electricity, due to which equipment (refrigerators) required to keep the vaccines cool cannot be run. Vaccines are required to always be stored in low temperatures between 2 and 8 degrees C.

Poor access to maternal care services is a known determinant for low rates of facility births and adverse maternal outcomes. In Zimbabwe, 73% of maternal deaths are attributed to delays in accessing care (1), resulting from long distances and travel times to health facilities, limited transport options and lack of transport funds for maternal care. Roads become dysfunctional during the wet season due to precipitation and floods, leaving many pregnant women vulnerable to poor maternal outcomes.

Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 76% of malaria cases and 75% of malaria deaths globally. Of which children under 5 are particularly susceptible to infection and death. More than 70% of all malaria deaths occur in this age group. These deaths are concentrated among those with poorly developed immunity and generally, young children bear the brunt of the mortality burden. Patients who survive severe malaria may be left with debilitating sequelae, behavioral disturbances or cognitive impairment.

This initiative promotes early development and improves the physical, emotional and socio-economic wellbeing of at risk infants and children under 5 and members of their households through education and local solutions in the war-torn City of Goma, in the DRCongo (DRC). At risk infants and children are those under 5 with parent/s victims of traumatic events living below US$1 per person/day. They include: rape victims, torture victims and post-traumatic stress disorders caused by violence, etc.