Ayzh is a social enterprise based in India that develops products to uplift the lives of women in India and around the world. Over the past several years, the organization has developed and distributed low-cost birthing kits in India, the Middle East, and East Africa.
Together Ayzh and IDEO.org worked to develop new birth kits to give newborns the best shot at antenatal health.
In our Early Childhood Development Challenge, Ayzh identified a key challenge: under-resourced clinics in India lack the resources they need to both deliver a clear birth and support newborn health in the first 48 hours of life—a crucial time to prevent infection, encourage appropriate breastfeeding habits, and keep babies warm. They imagined a new birth kit that would equip clinics to accommodate these needs.
Together, IDEO.org and Ayzh began to bring their vision to life. The initial design is meant to ensure the essential tools and resources are at arm’s reach for midwives and nurses throughout the birth and postnatal period. It also employs a visual communication system that encourages key behaviors, like sterilization.
The Ayzh team has been prototyping the new kit since late 2015 by role-playing with clinicians in India. This feedback will be used to finalize the kit design, setting the stage for larger-scale manufacturing.
