According to the World Health Organization, just under 300,000 maternal deaths occur worldwide each year, with over half of them in Sub-Saharan Africa. Amongst the more major causes of mortality is eclamsia, a condition of unknown cause which can result in the death of both mother and foetus. Blood pressure monitoring in pregnancy helps to identify those at risk of eclampsia, and facilitate appropriate intervention. However, delivering a service that provides regular monitoring and intervention in Africa is currently a huge challenge.
With this in mind we are pleased to announce that we have agreed another major additional objective to our trip. We have been in communication with Kings College London regarding their CRADLE trial, which is an international research project supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with the following objectives:
–  Improve the data that we have on maternal mortality across Sub-Saharan Africa
–  Pilot the use of a new compact, solar powered blood pressure monitor
–  Investigate the effect of the regular use of this monitor on the rates of maternal mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa
–  Allude to the cost effectiveness of establishing blood pressure monitoring services in Sub-Saharan Africa
We will work to introduce these devices to Ethiopia, and gather and analyse data from their use over the period of approximately a month. We are hugely excited to be a part of this project; we’ll keep you updated as we know more.