Her name is “mama-ope”. This smart jacket is aptly named by its designers, Ugandan researchers and telecommunications engineers. With good reason, because it could well give hope to many mothers in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa helpless in the face of the still present scourge of pneumonia.
What is so special about this garment? This smart jacket once worn, is able to diagnose pneumonia very quickly. This acute respiratory infection still killing too many childrenin the world and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
Once the child puts on this jacket, several data are captured and analyzed such as lung sounds, body temperature or breathing rate. The information recorded by the sensors is then transmitted to a smartphone application which delivers a reliable diagnosis.
“Once the information is transmitted to the application, a doctor, who is not necessarily nearby can have access to all this data, which can help to make a decision quickly, in full knowledge of the facts, “enthuses Brian Turyabagye, one of the two engineers behind this device and quoted by AFP.
Pneumonia is responsible for 15% of the total number of deaths of children under 5 worldwide, according to the WHO. 922,136 children under 5 died from this disease in 2015.
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