A Transformational Approach to Neonatal Jaundice
Jaundice is the most common condition requiring medical treatment in newborns, yet thousands of babies go undiagnosed and untreated for lack of access to adequate medical care. In severe cases, neonatal jaundice can cause permanent neurological damage, cerebral palsy, deafness and even death. In Peru, untreated neonatal jaundice is a public health problem. Up to 90% of public healthcare facilities lack the capability to adequately diagnose and treat neonatal jaundice, resulting in a rate of kernicterus (jaundice-linked brain damage) 20 times greater than in developed countries.
In response, INMED Andes and its technology partners are implementing a groundbreaking solution called the Bilikit®. A combination of 3 compact and integrated technologies, the Bilikit® allows for rapid and accurate screening, diagnosis and treatment of neonatal jaundice—particularly in remote, low-resource settings. This project is underway in the regions of Junín and La Libertad, with plans to scale beyond.
The Bili-rulerTM
The Bili-rulerTM (developed by Brigham and Women’s Global Newborn Health Lab) enables trained community health workers to screen babies during their first week of life, when jaundice reaches its peak.
The Bilistick®
The Bilistick® (developed by Bilimetrix), 
provides diagnosis with only a drop of blood, avoiding invasive blood draws that mothers often resist and where lab facilities do not exist.
The Bili-HutTM
Uniquely portable and battery-capable, the Bili-HutTM (developed by Little Sparrows Technologies) provides clinically optimal phototherapy even in the most remote areas.
INMED Andes has mobilized partnerships with the national Ministry of Health, regional health departments and healthcare facilities, and is training neonatologists and community health workers to screen for, diagnose and treat neonatal jaundice with the Bilikit® in the Junín region of Peru, with plans to scale in 2020.
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Project Bilikit® Presentation (Spanish)
Photo Gallery
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Our Partners
The Bilikit® project is made possible through the generous support of the Saving Lives at Birth partners: Grand Challenges Canada (GCC), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
