infant mortality from pneumonia. Mulwa further claimed that if the initiative is successful, pulse oximetry and electronic Clinical Decision Support Algorithms would be introduced into the primary health care for the diagnosis of serious illness in children under the age of five, especially premature newborns that are aged 0 to 60 days.
A recent statement noted the aim of the initiative. It said, “The goal of the research component is to generate evidence on the operational fit and cost effectiveness of introducing pulse oximetry and electronic Clinical Decision Support Algorithms (eCDSA) into primary health care in low- and middle-income countries to facilitate national and international decision-making on scale-up”.
Pulse oximetry is a World Health Organization-recommended system for examining unwell children, and it was included into the Integrated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illnesses guidelines (IMNCI) of Kenya in 2018. Pulse oximeters are expected to significantly enhance the skills of the primary healthcare providers in identifying and diagnosing serious diseases in children before they die.
Mulwa discussed the aim of the project. He said, “Equipping them with Pulse Oximeters would accelerate the development and market entry of non-invasive devices that augment the features of standard POX… and improved detection of severe disease in children is the major goal of this project”.
The four-year initiative will be executed in four target countries, namely, Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania, and the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP), with assistance provided by Unitaid and the Swiss TPH (Tropical and Public Health Institute). Kenya’s under-5 mortality rate continues to be a major public health problem, which now stands at 52 per 1000 live births, with pneumonia, malaria, diarrhea, and neonatal causes accounting for the majority of under-5 deaths.
