One laptop per midwife

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One laptop per midwife

Sudan
Organization type: 
nonprofit/ngo/citizen sector
Budget: 
< $1,000
Website:
http://www.african.ohio.edu/health/healthini.html
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Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

The main objective of this project is therefore to create educational opportunities for midwives in the world's poorest countries with high maternal and child mortality rates. The project will primarily focus on incorporating information and communication technology to improve overall maternal health in one of the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Sudan.

About You
Organization:
African Health Initiative
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Section 1: About You
First Name

Zelalem

Last Name

Haile

Website

http://www.african.ohio.edu/health/healthini.html

Country
Section 2: About Your Organization
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?

Organization Name

African Health Initiative

Organization Phone
Organization Address
Organization Country
How long has this organization been operating?

Less than a year

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Your idea
Country your work focuses on

, KRT

Innovation
What makes your idea unique?

Improving and investing the health of mothers could have a lasting impact in the world's poorest countries. Given the opportunity and resources, this program has a great potential in averting mortality and morbidity in the worlds a poorest countries. Since most of the complications related to maternal mortality occur at any time during pregnancy or childbirth without forewarning, timely access to and use of quality obstetric services is essential. Studies have shown that if women have access to basic maternal health services, 80% of maternal deaths could be prevented. Providing midwives with tools and information plays an important role in this process. The "one laptop per midwife" is unique simply because it indirectly emphasizes the importance of improvement in local healthcare, training and education of midwives in essential obstetrics as well as improving quality of antenatal care. It is also unique because with availability of communication technology midwives in rural areas can have access to experts and other professionals without leaving their locations. As such, it will play a significant role in reduction of maternal mortality among rural and marginal communities.

Do you have a patent for this idea?

Impact
Tell us about the social impact of your innovation. Please include both numbers and stories as evidence of this impact

Currently Ohio University's African Health Initiative joins with its long-established partner institutions Al Ahfad University for Women in Sudan and Bayero University Kano in Nigeria to promote higher education innovation in the improvement of teaching to save lives of women and children. Across Africa's extensive Islamic belt the circumstances surrounding child birth are dramatically more challenging than those elsewhere on the continent due to a number of factors that includes lack lack of access to education for girls and women.Our project is investigating the possibilities of collaboration through capacity building exercises and technological innovation to share teaching and consultation through internet-based platforms. The one laptop per child project will be incorporated as part of this overall effort.

Problem: Describe the primary problem(s) that your innovation is addressing

Sudan is one of the world's least successful example of reaching global improvements in maternal mortality. Among the reasons for the state of maternal mortality in Sudan include lack of skilled birth attendants.

Actions: Describe the steps that you are taking to make your innovation a success. What might prevent that success?

The project follows a purely participatory approach to improve the above mentioned needs. As such we have identified individuals from partner institutions to work with us in every aspect of this program. Ohio University is a leader in research and teaching for public and community health, in the study of Islamic Africa as well as in technological innovation for teaching. Similarly Ahfad University for women in Omdurman, Sudan has developed a special emphasis on health issues, particularly women's health. The School of Health Sciences, and out project partner Dr. Nafisa Bedri, work on issues tying health education, management and policy to specific issues in reproductive health and nutrition, improving the access that all of Sudan's women have to these important areas of information.

Results: Describe the expected results of these actions over the next three years. Please address each year separately, if possible

By creating a maternal health centered public health program, this project aims at reducing maternal mortality. The use of information technology will also have an extraordinary impact on the quality of maternal care but will aslo improve learning.

How many people will your project serve annually?

101‐1000

What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?

$50 - 100

Does your innovation seek to have an impact on public policy?

Yes

If your innovation seeks to impact public policy, how?

Approximately 150 words left (1200 characters).

Sustainability
What stage is your project in?

Idea phase

Does your organization have a board of directors or an advisory board?

Yes

Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with NGOs?

Yes

Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with businesses?

Does your organization have a non monetary partnerships with government?

Yes

Please tell us more about how partnerships could be critical to the success of your innovation

We anticipate active support from our partners to successfully implement our programs.

We would like to learn more about how your initiative is financially supported. Please explain your business plan/revenue model

In the first year the success of this project will depend on the nature and organization of maternal health care in Sudan. Effective partnership with professionals in the area, policy makers as well as educational institutions will have a significant role in the success of this project.

Lack of financial sustainability along with other factors such as lack receptiveness towards information and communication based learning may hamper this project.

In the second year such partnership can be extended to other stakeholders including local and international non-governmental organization that work in similar areas.

In the third year support from the general public will have a significant effect on this project.

The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?

High number of maternal and child mortality rates in the Sahel region of Africa was the catlyst for this project,

Tell us about the person—the social innovator—behind this idea.

Approximately 250 words left (2000 characters).

How did you first hear about Changemakers?

Web Search (e.g., Google or Yahoo)

If through another source, please provide the information
ICRW
Does your project address any of the following barriers to women’s technology access and use?

If you checked any of the boxes above, please explain how.

Approximately 250 words left (2000 characters).

Does your project involve women in one or more of the following stages of the technology lifecycle? Identification of the problem the technology will solve:

If you checked any of the boxes above, please explain how you will ensure women’s involvement in each relevant phase of the technology lifecycle.

Approximately 250 words left (2000 characters).

If women are a focus of your project, how did this focus evolve?

Which type of women will your project reach directly?

In what ways does your project team/leadership involve women?

Has your organization formed any new partnerships in response to this challenge? If so, with what type/s of organization/s?

Has your project leadership had prior experience with the following?