Programme
Health technologies
Medical devices, equipment and systems improve the quality of care for children.
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The challenge
Health technologies – simple medical devices, more complex equipment and sophisticated systems – are critical components of quality healthcare for children. Yet many health facilities, particularly in low-income countries and in humanitarian settings, lack adequate health technologies for primary care. As a result, preventable and treatable diseases and health conditions continue to threaten children’s lives and wellbeing.
The solution
UNICEF works to expand the availability of, and access to, health technologies across all types of health facilities in low-resource contexts and in emergencies to strengthen healthcare for children, mothers and families.
These include:
- Assistive technologies, such as wheelchairs, hearing and vision aids, and incontinence products that enable children with disabilities to fully participate in society, unlocking their potential.
- Cold chain equipment, including vaccine carriers and solar-powered fridges that keep vaccines at the right temperatures and maintain their potency as they travel thousands of kilometres from manufacturers to children.
- Diagnostic tools, such as rapid tests and molecular assays that support accurate diagnosis and treatment of children, and that enable surveillance of outbreaks to inform coordinated responses. Additionally, equipment, such as electrocardiographs and ultrasound scanners, along with instruments ranging from tongue depressors to sphygmomanometers are critical to enable accurate prognosis at the primary healthcare level.
- Medical devices and supplies, such as anthropometric devices, neonatal intensive care unit equipment, maternal, obstetric and post-partum care supplies, as well as clinical and surgical devices. Personal protective equipment, such as isolation gowns, goggles, facemasks, gloves and face shields, is also necessary for safe healthcare and provides protection during infectious disease outbreaks.
- Oxygen supply and respiratory care, encompassing oxygen sources, such as oxygen concentrators and oxygen plants, as well as many other consumables and accessories essential for treating newborns and children with pneumonia and other deadly respiratory infections.
- Safe injection equipment, especially syringes, which are used to safely administer vaccines to children, protecting them from deadly and debilitating diseases, including polio and measles.
- Vector control tools, such as insecticide-treated bed nets that protect children and their families from malaria, dengue and other diseases transmitted by mosquitoes.
