Center for Health Market Innovations (CHMI)

Programs

TouchHb

last updated Sep 27, 2011

Overview

Implementing organization: 
Biosense Technologies
Legal Status: 
Private (for-profit)
Year Launched: 
2008
Stage: 
Pilot/startup stage

Scale

Personnel Employed: 
<10
Summary: 

Biosense Technologies (formerly AnaeMedia) is introducing a cheap, portable prick-less scanning device for village health workers to screen and monitor anemia in rural India.

Program goals/rationale: 

The company estimates that 40% of maternal and neonatal mortality in India is due to anemia.

Key program components: 

The product, called TouchHb, is a prick-less anaemia scanner that can measure HB levels and help diagnose anaemia by referring to an accompanying simple chart. It is designed for use by low skilled village health workers, rugged and dust-proof to last in the countryside, and equipped with a rechargeable battery and hand crank mechanism for operation in areas with infrequent electric supply. There are no recurrent costs (needles, use of special lancets, micro-cuvettes, blotting paper etc.) other than the batteries that can be recharged and expected to last for more than 100 tests. The cost per test is low, there is no no bio-waste.

Biosense Technologies won the Emerging Award for innovative key entrepreneur ideation in healthcare at Sankalp 2009, India’s Largest Social Enterprise and Investment Forum. The teams will undertake a pilot study with 3,000 women to be screened for anemia in primary healthcare centers in Parol and Bhatane in Maharashtra.

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