Safe Mama Kits

CATEGORY: Health

Safe Mama Kits

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The project involves producing and distributing Safe Mama Kits in the Iganga District, Uganda.The supplies in each kit can be used for a clean, safe delivery, drastically reducing mater

Standings & Awards

591 out of 591 in Africa
284 out of 284 in Health
573 out of 573 in Pilot
992 out of 992 in Charitable
4003 out of 4003 Overall

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VOTES

We will provide clean births for over 500 infants in the first year, reducing maternal and neonatal deaths.

Infection rates due to unsanitary birthing conditions are extremely high in the Iganga District. However, these rates can be drastically reduced through use of simple medical supplies during labor and delivery. Currently, delivery kits are being produced and distributed but at a very high retail price, making them completely unattainable to the majority of pregnant women in this area. This past summer a kit program was launched through distribution of donated kits and received much support, as well as high demand for this product by women in the local villages. However, the program was not sustainable under the current structure due to the high cost of each kit. Our project proposes to create a similar kit at a subsidized cost. Included in each kit will be plastic sheeting to cover the hospital bed surface, two sets of sterile surgical gloves, one clean razor blade for cutting the umbililcal cord, sterile umbilical cord ties, cotton wool, clean cloth, soap, and tetracycline eye ointment. The kit will also come with a free infant health card that can be used by the mother and her health providers to keep a record of all medical information. In order to keep costs low, items will be purchased at bulk medical sales prices and the kits will be assembled by members of the Matove Beads Development Assocation (MABEDA), then sold to local women. Through this business model, we provide an income-generating business for MABEDA, while also creating a product that will facilitate a safe delivery and save lives of mothers and babies.

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Roadmap to Success:

roadmap_to_success.pdf

Sponsors, Investors, and Supporters

FIVE PROJECT QUESTIONS Required (60 - 90 minutes)

1. What is your innovation?

Women giving birth in Uganda are required to bring their own medical supplies to the local health center to facilitate a clean vaginal delivery. However, many women do not have access to the supplies due to their rural location and prohibitive prices of each individual item. Our innovation is a “mama kit” which includes the necessary materials, assembled and sold by local women’s groups, thereby improving distribution and utilization of the kits while also generating income for local women.

2. Who gains the most?

There are three factions of people who gain equally from this innovation: (1) The women who need the supplies to deliver in the health center (where it is safest to deliver), but could not otherwise access the supplies—and their babies, (2) The women who sell the kits, thereby gaining income and social-cultural status within their villages for running a business, and (3) The health center workers whose exposure to communicable disease will be minimized by the materials in the kit.

3. Who pays?

Safe Mothers, Safe Babies (SAFE) will provide seed capital to purchase initial supplies for the women’s groups; after that, the women using the kits pay for them. The price is subsidized because SAFE facilitates purchase of the supplies in wholesale, bulk prices, making them much cheaper than any alternative. The sales price of the kits will cover costs of individual items and include a slight profit margin for the women who make them, thereby creating a sustainable, health-promoting business.

4. What is your success?

Our main success is reduction in maternal and neonatal infection and mortality due to unsanitary birthing conditions. To measure this, we will pilot the project in 3 areas during the first year, and track the number of kits sold and used in health centers. We will also measure health outcomes and satisfaction of women using the kits. In years 2 and 3, we will use this information to scale up into 10 more areas, and expand the program nationally in years 4 and 5.

5. How will you do it?

In an effort to develop a socially innovative and sustainable project, we partnered with MABEDA, a local community group that was looking for new business opportunities and took complete ownership of this project. Group members will assemble the kits and sell them for a small profit, with our support in terms of training, technical assistance, facilitating the purchase of bulk medical supplies, communication with health centers, and other logistical support as needed.