TY - JOUR T1 - Newborn care technology investments for LMIC settings: a CPAP approach JF - BMJ Innovations JO - BMJ Innov DO - 10.1136/bmjinnov-2020-000598 SP - bmjinnov-2020-000598 AU - Bolanle Aishat Kasali AU - Anisha Gururaj AU - Maneesh Batra Y1 - 2021/04/07 UR - http://innovations.bmj.com/content/early/2021/04/06/bmjinnov-2020-000598.abstract N2 - Globally, it is estimated that 15 million babies are born prematurely each year. Approximately one million of these newborns die due to complications of preterm birth, and these deaths occur disproportionately in low/middle-income countries (LMICs).1 Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a common cause of death among those born preterm, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been established as an effective therapy for reducing mortality and morbidity from RDS among preterm neonates.2 Unfortunately, the high cost of conventional CPAP devices has limited its availability in low-resource settings.3 To fill this gap, multiple low-cost, effective and safe CPAP devices have emerged, although this space remains an area for active innovation and development. In this paper, we focus on the use of the target product profile (TPP) as a tool for aligning innovators and other stakeholders for product innovation. As a funding organisation, we are invested in the implementation of technology products that improve health outcomes at scale. We have observed the presence of multiple CPAP products without clear alignment on the key features and specifications, nor the systemic and delivery factors required for successful implementation.4 This has resulted in a major barrier to large scale uptake and implementation of CPAP devices for the treatment of RDS in preterm infants in LMICs.Newborn technology design for respiratory distress can be done in a purposeful way. While clinical guidelines and recommendations on the clinical use of CPAP for newborn care are available, there is insufficient guidance to align innovators, investors and other stakeholders developing new product prototypes. The WHO (2015) issued a recommendation on the use of CPAP for the treatment of preterm newborns with RDS immediately on diagnosis. It includes provision of blended oxygen, monitoring of oxygen saturation and cardiorespiratory status, and use in facilities that can provide quality … ER -