Improving health care in austere environments calls for innovative approaches. CIMIT Global Health Initiative's mission is to improve the effectiveness of health care providers in low-income settings by developing and implementing sustainable technologies and targeted training.  Coupled to stimulate adoption and capacity building, a "setting-driven" approach can serve to enable a culture of innovation. Building on existing local resources and insights can decrease reliance on donated and imported medical devices as well as stimulate the local infrastructure, economy and health system to ensure sustainability.

CIMIT’s Global Health Program is focused on technology design and development and training programs for low-resource settings.

10.14.09 ANNOUNCEMENT:
Utne Reader Names Three Boston Residents as “Visionaries.” National Magazine Selects Locals Among 50 People who are Changing the World
Utne Reader names three Boston residents as visionaries who are making their individual marks on the world. Nawal Nour, Kristian Olson and John Wilbanks are among 50 people the magazine has included in its November-December issue, on newsstands Oct. 20.

In the Field: Midwife Resuscitation Training

In October 2008, Dr. Kris Olson and Aya Caldwell traveled to Aceh, Indonesia as consultants to the International Organization of Migration (IOM). In Indonesia, they worked with local midwives, doctors, and the (IOM) team. The trip’s primary objective was to conduct a beta test for an outcome assessment on a neonatal resuscitation training program, which aims to prevent asphyxia in newborns. Learn more about the work done in Aceh, Indonesia.

The targeted approach done in Aceh, Indonesia, needs to be validated in another country. Investments in CIMIT GHI can be used to replicate this birth asphyxia training program and assess it in a distinct setting. This investment will serve to both save neonatal lives during its implementation and provide the necessary evidence for scaling this program to low-income settings worldwide.

MAY 5 FORUM VIDEO: Dr. Kris Olson & Aya Caldwell speak on the neonatal asphyxia training program assessment in Indonesia.

• Background
  • Birth asphyxia is the third leading cause of neonatal deaths accounting for 1 million deaths annually worldwide. Simple resuscitation methods, when preformed accurately, can reduce these deaths by 70-80%. The Ambu Bag, the gold standard, costs $30 to $50 in areas we have trained. Several studies show that a tube and bask device is as effective costing $8-$10.
    
    In 2005 CIMIT Global Health Initiative with Indonesian Ministry of Health, and International Organization of Migration, conducted the first scaling of a tube and mask device called the “Tekno Tube,” which was manufactured in Indonesia. The program has trained over 500 midwives and continues today. Furthermore, it fostered a robust continuing medical education infrastructure where other modules can be taught. The relatively low cost of this intervention, ease of training and potential local manufacturing capabilities allows potential for scaling this intervention globally.