Newborn Jaundice & the Crisis in Ukraine

• Each day, ~1000 mothers give birth in war-torn Ukraine. With many hospitals bombed or destroyed, babies are being born in settings without basic medical equipment.

• Approximately half of newborns will develop jaundice in their first days of life, while 1 in 10 may require treatment. Neonatal jaundice is curable with blue light phototherapy. Failure to deliver this simple and effective treatment to newborns with severe cases of jaundice can result in permanent brain damage or death.     

Jaundice Management in Resource-Limited Settings

• A set of low-cost tools to identify and treat newborn jaundice in resource-limited settings were developed by the BWH Global Advancement of Infants and Mothers (AIM) lab [Bili-ruler] and Little Sparrows Technologies [Bili-Hut].
• The President of the Ukrainian Association of Neonatologists sent a letter to Global AIM urgently requesting donations of special medical equipment to manage newborn jaundice, “for the possibility of its use in adapted premises during active hostilities.”

In response, we are raising funds to manufacture and transport medical equipment to manage newborn jaundice to Ukrainian hospitals and facilities most in need, partnering with local physicians, hospitals, and NGOs in the region.

Project Updates from Ukraine

The first 2 Bili-huts were delivered to the Ukraine in May 2022. Our initial goal is to raise $180,000, that will support 60 devices. Ukrainian physicians have requested 100 devices to date. 

To learn more about the project, technologies, and see real time updates from the ground visit:

https://globalaim.bwh.harvard.edu/projectsun/