Philips yesterday raised awareness of their technology that they say will enhance life of people in Africa. The company launched a road show from Cape Town to Cairo; with Nairobi is their 8th stop.

Philip aims to promote their solutions on healthcare and lighting that improve the quality of life in the African continent. A Philips technology like the prenatal information system OB TraceVue which is currently being used at the Nairobi Hospital, has strengthened the hospital’s prenatal healthcare services and provided more focused care for the unique needs of every mother, child through pregnancy, labour and the transition home.

The system manages registration and storage of data across the prenatal care continuum, from the first ante – partum examination to delivery, postpartum care, new born care and follow up visits to the gynecologist. This has helped reduce critical complications in high risks or in pregnant mothers at risk for certain medical conditions.
Philips’ Avalon CTS transducers are cordless and weigh less, enabling expecting mothers be able to move easily with them during labour. The CTS advanced wireless communication technology sends signals to the bedside even if the mother is not in the room. Data streamed to the bedside is recorded, analyzed and archived by the OB TraceVue clinical information system. Clinicians are able to monitor mother’s fetal movement, heart rate, uterine activity and maternal ECG status.

The Kenyan Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) state that by 2015, such technologies should help reduce child deaths by two-thirds and maternal deaths by three quarters. Every minute at least one woman dies from complications related to pregnancy or child birth worldwide. With a neonatal mortality rate of 27 per 1000 live births, Kenya is still struggling with one of the highest numbers of new born deaths in Africa.

In the course of the road show, Philips also introduced some of their lighting solutions. In Africa 10 – 17 billion USD is spend on Kerosene or fuel based lighting per annum. By using energy efficient lighting, energy would be sliced to areas which don’t have access to it. The new LED technology will save energy up to 80% and emitting 630 tonnes of Carbon to the atmosphere.

Digital lighting is transforming the entire landscape, compared to 2010, 87% of the world used traditional lighting systems. By 2015 the use of traditional lights will reduce to 50%, people will shift to LED lighting technologies.

The company also introduced new solar power solutions to provide a healthier and safer home environment. They installed the first solar power lighting in mathare slums and their solar solution was also used in UNEP head quarters in Nairobi.