RobustNest, an incubator designed especially for Sub-Saharan Africa

Le transport de nouveaux-nés vers des centres de santé est un défi en Afrique. Photos Fabien Roy / DR - The project designed at ECAL for the GlobalNeonNat project led by EPFL's EssentialTech Center is garnering attention - and awards - at international design shows. Each year, more than a million newborns in the African continent die of hypothermia in the hours after birth, often due to lack or equipment or equipment failure in the health centers. Medical equipment in southern countries suffers due to numerous constraints. Temperature, humidity, insufficient electrical networks and lack of training for personnel can all render donated equipment inoperable. The EPFL approach differs. "Creating a solution adapted to this environment means thinking not only about the tool, but also of how it will be used," explains Christine Gaulis, Head of the GlobalNeoNat project at EPFL's EssentialTech Centre.