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Partners & Supporters
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Insitor Fund SCA

                                      
                                      





Winner of the Grand Prize in Global Health at the  Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition 2010

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Winner of the Sankalp Award for 'Best Emerging Company in Healthcare', 2009


Every minute a women dies as a result of pregnancy or childbirth. The loss of 500,000 women a year is tragic, as it is preventable with the right technology tools. Nearly 40% of maternal deaths are directly and indirectly attributed to anaemia. A major root cause why anaemia goes untreated is the lack of healthcare infrastructure and diagnostic facilities or doctors at remote rural locations in the developing world.

Prevalence
Iron deficiency anaemia is one of the most prevalent nutritional deficiencies in the world (WHO)and affects a billion people worldwide. Iron demand in pregnancy and growth is high, so pregnant women and children are most seriously affected by anaemia. In India, anaemia contributes to around 40% of maternal deaths a year (Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR): 301 deaths per 100000 live births). Severe anaemia in the mother (<8g/dl) also predisposes to a low birth weight baby (<2.5kg). Around 30% of all births are LBW babies in India which is associated with a high neonatal and infant mortality rate (IMR = 60/1000 live births), lower trajectory of growth during childhood and decreased immunity.

LBW babies are predisposed to malnutrition in adolescence and childhood, when such malnourished, severely anaemic females give birth, the vicious cycle propagates. As per the XIth 5 year plan of India, “Prevention, detection, or management of anaemia in adolescent girls has till now not received much attention. In view of the high prevalence of moderate and severe anaemia (21.1%) in this group and the fact that many of them get married early, conceive, and face the problems associated with anaemia in pregnancy, it is imperative to screen them for anaemia and monitor their treatment.”

With severe anaemia in advanced pregnancy (Hb <6.5g/dl), postpartum hemorrhage (blood loss after delivery) is a real threat as the mother cannot tolerate even a minimal amount of blood loss. Most females in developing countries start pregnancy with an inadequate iron reserve, remain unaware of their condition fail to take nutritional supplements or de-worming agents and suffer complications during pregnancy and child birth.



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