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| Photo credit: Pius Utomi AFP/Getty images |
Achieving
the ambitious target to end maternal and child deaths, enshrined in the
sustainable development goals (SDGs), will require ingenuity. The good news is
that 11 health innovations could save more than 6 million mothers and children
by 2030, if they are invested in and used widely in 24
priority countries.
1 Injectable contraceptives
A new formulation that combines a widely
used long-acting contraceptive in an easy-to-use injection is already improving
access to this life-changing intervention by allowing community health workers
to bring the drug directly to women. Several countries are even studying the
potential for women to self-inject, further empowering women and their choices.
Modelling showed that this innovation,
making long-acting contraception more accessible, could save more than 3
million lives – including women, newborns, and children – by helping women
space their pregnancies in a healthy way.
2 Better pneumonia treatment
Accurately diagnosing pneumonia in young
children is very difficult. New tools to diagnose and treat the condition,
including better respiratory rate monitors and portable pulse oximeters, can
save many more lives from this disease, which is the leading infectious killer
of children under five.
3 Kangaroo mother care
There is so much we can do now to give
newborns a better chance at a healthy life. Studies have shown that kangaroo
mother care, or skin-to-skin contact between the newborn and mother
immediately after birth, improves breastfeeding and thermal regulation of
newborns, both critical for survival in low-resource settings.
4 Chlorinators for water treatment
Beyond traditional interventions for
mothers and newborns, we also need to ensure access to clean water. New
technologies, like a chlorinator for community water treatment, are making the
use of chlorine for disinfecting water easy and economical.
5 Antiseptic gel
Chlorhexidine, a low-cost antiseptic, is a
very simple gel that, if applied to the newborn’s umbilical cord, can prevent
deadly infections.
6 Single-dose anti-malarial drugs
Better drugs to protect against diseases
like malaria are in the works, including a potent single-dose anti-malarial
drug.
7 Neonatal resuscitators
As many as one in 10 newborns need help
breathing at birth, new, simple, neonatal resuscitators can help prevent
deaths.
8 Low-cost balloon tamponade
Women with postpartum haemorrhage can also
be stabilised and treated by a balloon tamponade, a
common tool in high-income countries. Recently, this tool has been adapted
using readily available materials in low-income countries. Using the materials
at hand, a healthcare provider can create a tamponade out of condoms and rubber
tubing. Now simple low-cost kits and pre-assembled versions are available, that
make this solution more accessible and effective.
9 Drugs to stop blood loss after
childbirth
New forms of the drug oxytocin are currently
being developed and tested that could increase coverage because they won’t
require skilled health workers to administer or refrigeration for storage.
These innovations could help ensure this highly effective drug reaches and
treats hundreds of thousands of women at risk of death from postpartum
haemorrhage (or severe bleeding after delivery) each year.
10 Rice fortification
For children who live in areas where rice
is a staple food, we are seeing amazing developments in rice fortification, a
process that enriches rice with vitamins and iron supplements. Better nutrition
is at the core of better health and smarter ways to supplement staples and
introduce foods with more nutritional value are essential.
11 New tests for a life-threatening
maternal condition
Preeclampsia is another danger that affects
more than one in 20 pregnant women. It is associated with dangerously high
blood pressure that can lead to seizures. New diagnostic tools to treat
preeclampsia will help identify at-risk women so that they can receive low-cost
treatment.
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