Resources

Febrile illness, pneumonia, and anaemia each have multiple etiological origins, present with overlapping symptoms, and often are diagnosed by low-skilled frontline health care workers with insufficient or inadequate tools and high patient loads. Furthermore, health care workers in low-resource settings rely on clinical signs to triage these conditions, despite known issues with the accuracy and reliability of these methods, which results in patients being misdiagnosed and not receiving appropriate care. Providing health care workers with tools to help them identify the signs of severe illness could help overcome these challenges.Multimodal (or next generation) pulse oximeters —noninvasive handheld devices that expand the features of standard handheld pulse oximeters by additionally measuring respiratory rate, temperature, and/or hemoglobin—are a promising technology that can provide objective measurements to support clinical decision-making. Combining more than one clinical measurement into a multimodal pulse oximeter has the potential to improve the accuracy and efficiency of, as well as adherence to, consultations that facilitate more appropriate diagnosis and integrated management of illnesses. In addition to reducing mortality, multimodal pulse oximeters could further enhance efficient use of resources and reduce the overall strain on the health system by minimizing the need for costly testing, strengthening referral decisions, and reducing unnecessary hospitalizations, intensive therapy, and overuse of antibiotic treatments.This report aims to assess the potential of multimodal pulse oximeters to improve the integrated diagnosis and treatment of illnesses for patients presenting at health facilities in low- and middle-income countries, with a focus on maternal and child health applications. Understanding technological challenges, existing and pipeline products, and market challenges is key for facilitating equitable access to these tools through market-based interventions.

Medical oxygen proved to be a lifesaving drug during the COVID-19 pandemic in the absence of a proven therapeutic solution for patients suffering from the infection. In May 2021, India's health infrastructure was overwhelmed by the caseload, with a lack of oxygen, manpower, drugs, and hospital beds. The most difficult challenge for the country was providing an adequate volume of medical oxygen for the most severely ill patients who were unable to breathe on their own.PATH, with its extensive experience in respiratory care management, responded quickly and played a critical role in strengthening the oxygen ecosystem at this critical juncture. It provided technical assistance in the installation and procurement of PSA oxygen generation plants and oxygen concentrators, as well as improved their readiness.Furthermore, in order to build capacity for long-term sustainability, PATH developed, translated, and disseminated high-quality, reliable, and ready-reference knowledge products, such as the Guidebook on Medical Oxygen Management, Oxygen Posters, Standard Operating Procedures, Checklists, Case Studies, and Success Stories on various aspects of the oxygen ecosystem.

Family planning is recognized as the second-best return on investment, after education, among all targets set under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The goal of “every pregnancy a planned pregnancy” is fundamental to progress in health and economic development. To tackle issues of access, continuity of use, and exercise of choice in family planning options, PATH is working to strengthen the supply chain of FP commodities. We designed and implemented initiatives to strengthen the supply chain systems in 8 states in India. Here's an overview of these interventions.

In West Africa and around the world, scaling up access to oxygen is one of the most effective, and critical, actions that decision-makers can take to improve health outcomes, particularly for vulnerable populations such as newborns, children, and pregnant women. The COVID-19 pandemic has further emphasized the vital role of respiratory care for patients struggling to breathe. Respiratory care requires investment in strengthening health care delivery systems, including supply management and provider training.This brief summarizes Senegal’s and Burkina Faso’s efforts toward establishing a comprehensive and sustainable oxygen system to address respiratory care needs beyond COVID-19, and demonstrates the type of support PATH can provide in this process.

The study aims to use a behavior science and human centred approach tounderstand the barriers to COVID-19 testing, and use this fundamentalunderstanding to design interventions to drive the ‘right user’ to get tested atthe ‘right time’.