Child health in low and middle income countries

TNO develops new knowledge, tools and evidenced based interventions. In close collaborations with partners in the field we implement integrated sets of solutions. Our main partners are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Simavi and Bernard van Leer Foundation. At the moment we work in Ghana, Indonesia and Suriname.

Our core areas of work

Family planning - the key to healthier families

Evidence shows that effectively educating young people about preconception, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and childbirth positively impacts their choices about reproductive health and prevents teenage pregnancies. With 'Pregnant, Yes or NO', TNO offers a low-cost, low-threshold programme that engages students in a clear, open discussion about their sexual and reproductive health, choices and responsibilities.

Check2gether to save lives

Once a woman conceives, she may encounter complications that put her health – and her unborn baby’s life – at serious risk. With a few simple tests, support and guidance, a vast number of negative outcomes can be prevented. Check2Gether are two programmes in one.

The Check2Gether Kit contains inexpensive, easy diagnostic tools that any healthcare worker can use to test for the most common high-risk conditions. Check2Gether Group Care is a safe and nurturing environment in which expecting mums can learn, ask questions and support each other. The proven method improves pregnancy outcomes and mother and child health, especially in underserved populations.

D-score; milestones that make a difference

Every infant is expected to experience the same growth and development milestones in the first years of its life. But in every country, those milestones – and a child’s ability to reach them – vary greatly. Unless all children are measured in the same way, some children may be left behind.

Development score (D score) and JAMES are two technological innovations that plot a child’s development on a graph, to be compared with other children in the region, the country and the world. They allow parents, healthcare workers and global organisations to focus attention on the children who need it most.

Digital Parent Support Service

Digital Parent Support Services provides insights and support to the regions that need it most. At TNO, we use our child health expertise, technological knowhow and smart algorithms to ensure that data is available to healthcare workers when it's needed through smart applications and platforms. It gives healthcare providers the tools to offer accurate advice with fewer resources.

Strengthen children’s resilience

In low and middle income countries, children from 0 till 18 years old often don’t have access to interventions that enhance their resilience and mental health. Contributing factors are a lack of resources and trained professionals, poor mental health literacy and limiting access to evidence-based solutions.

To strengthen resilience, TNO develops innovative, affordable, and easy to implement evidence-based interventions for children from 0 till 18 years old and caretakers in developing countries all over the world .