AYZH

Each year, about 60 million women in developing countries give birth with only the help of an untrained attendant or family member or with no help at all (World Health Organization 2009). Many of these deliveries take place at home, where the risk of infection is high. Some 1,600 women per day die from complications associated with pregnancy or childbirth, and infection is a leading cause, as referenced in the diagram below. Additionally, an estimated 972,000 newborns die each year from infection, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

AYZH seeks to reduce the risk associated with home births through its first product – JANMA,  a “clean and green birth kit” providing  clean perineum, clean delivery surface,  and clean cord cutting and tying instruments at low cost. The kits are distributed through trained-birth attendants and community health workers who are educated in the proper use of the kits, reducing complications. Since it begun manufacturing, AYZH has distributed over 3,500 kits across South India.

AYZH hopes to expand its product lines to include other tools which improve the quality of living of women across India and developing countries. AYZH strategically selects its high quality, low-cost products based upon two fundamental needs in rural women’s lives: Health and Livelihood. The organization takes a tiered approach to first address women’s basic needs – get them and their families healthy so they have the time and strength to work. They then provide them with income generating tools to help increase livelihood. With a healthier family and more lucrative opportunities, the women can attain a level of self sufficiency that translates into a more vibrant society. Next up is a household water filter, Sheba, currently under development, followed by two other income generating technologies.