Infant mortality in developing countries remains a significant issue, with complications due to premature birth being a leading cause. Though largely preventable, more than one-third of the 2.3 million newborn deaths in 2021 were due to preterm birth complications. Deaths occurring within the newborn period are also highly associated with diseases and infections contracted due to a lack of proper sanitation, quality care and necessary medical treatment. Countries worldwide have made progress in this area, although it has slowed in the last decade. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 64 countries will be unable to meet the SDG goal for eliminating preventable infant mortality by 2030 without quick action. However, innovations provide hope in tackling this issue.

Survival Rates in High and Low-Income Countries

The survival rate of newborns varies significantly by region, with a notable disparity between high and low-income countries. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia show the least favorable conditions for infant survival. In fact, these areas accounted for more than 80% of deaths in children under 5 in 2022, many being in the neonatal stage.

These disparities are especially significant for extremely premature infants born before 28 weeks. On the low end, these infants experience a 10% survival rate in developing nations, compared to a rate of more than 90% in parts of the developed world, according to BMC Pediatrics. Without specialty care provided in the newborn stage, surviving preterm babies also have a higher chance of developing lasting health issues and disabilities.

One of the biggest challenges facing health care systems in developing countries is inaccessibility to medical technology and equipment. Due to high costs, inadequate infrastructure and a lack of professionally trained personnel, health care facilities are often unable to implement advanced technologies and deliver life-saving care.

Finding Solutions: IncuNest

Incubators are an essential piece of medical technology used to keep ill and premature babies healthy during their first days of life, while they are vulnerable to fatal complications such as infection and temperature dysregulation. However, high-tech incubators generally cost anywhere from $1,500 to $35,000, an unrealistic investment for many hospitals with limited resources.

Led by Pablo Sanchez Bergasa, Medical Open World developed a medical technology solution made to prevent infant mortality in developing countries effectively.

They created IncuNest, a low-cost incubator which aims to save the lives of vulnerable infants born into environments that lack the resources to keep them healthy. Their incubators cost a fraction of the mainstream price at €350 per unit, making them far more economically accessible. Constructed to be lightweight and portable, they are easy to transport to areas where they are necessary the most, with minimal infrastructure necessary for operation.

Easier to Operate

IncuNest is also easier to operate in areas that struggle with accessing electricity. Being extremely energy efficient, one incubator requires a maximum of only 130 watts and can operate using unconventional energy sources, such as car batteries. With significantly fewer resources required to run the incubators, the technology remains effective, focusing on the most important functions, such as sanitary confinement and temperature and humidity control.

IncuNest is also an open source technology, meaning that their blueprints are fully accessible via the IncuNest website, allowing anyone to construct their own incubators locally. This approach to decentralizing medical technology shifts the focus from incubators being a product to being a tool for advancing human development and well-being. So far, IncuNest operates in more than 200 locations and saved the lives of 4,000 infants.

Looking Ahead

With less developed areas struggling to implement advanced healthcare technologies, IncuNest poses as a blueprint addressing this inequality. Through the creation of medical innovations that are easy to acquire and distribute, more communities gain access to life-saving care. In addition, decentralized approaches that encourage local construction allow for solutions to be adopted more easily. Bridging the gap between healthcare systems in high and low-income nations has no one solution and will require various systematic changes. However, finding ways to bring effective technologies to communities that need them most is an important piece in achieving greater equality and addressing infant mortality in developing countries.

– Quinlan Bohannon

Quinlan is based in Portland, OR, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr