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Professor Mehta discussed three maternal health projects in Sierra Leone. The first project uses educational films to improve health-seeking behaviors, with films shown in clinics and rural areas through a portable cinema kit that was reduced from $5,000 to $500. The second project, Care Alert, addresses the issue of women not returning for recommended clinic visits by implementing a paging system to improve trust in the healthcare system. The third project involves using Alexa-like devices without internet access to provide health information in local languages to community health workers. He also mentioned a fourth project developing a sickle cell diagnostic device, with students serving on the National Task Force for Sickle Cell.
Khanjan also discussed several global health initiatives, including a $2 diagnostic device for sickle cell detection and projects in Sierra Leone focused on nutrition and maternal health. He highlighted the development of micronutrient-enriched products like fortified water sachets and bouillon cubes, which are scalable and nearing market launch. He also shared local projects at Lehigh University, such as VR tours for education, trash mapping, and an AI-driven system to demystify healthcare costs. He emphasized the importance of partnerships and student engagement in addressing global challenges.
