Introducing our newest venture ChARM: Empowering low-resource healthcare professionals around the world

ChARM is making waves in the realm of pneumonia diagnosis. This precision-focused heart monitor is ready to redefine the way healthcare professionals approach this critical aspect of paediatric care.

Every year, roughly 900,000 children around the world under the age of five lose their lives to pneumonia, a preventable and easily treatable disease. This alarming statistic is what drives Maarten Neve, CEO of ChARM, who is on a mission to reduce this number to zero. The challenge is that In low-resource settings, the scarcity of doctors and nurses, coupled with a lack of training among healthcare workers, results in hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths. The main reason being misclassification of respiratory rates, leading to incorrect pneumonia diagnosis. The ChARM will play a significant role in supporting the healthcare workers to correctly diagnose pneumonia.

Usability and functionality

Quote Users from the Assessment of Usability and Acceptability of Automated Pneumonia Diagnostic Tool (ChARM) in Low Resource Settings in India. ChARM, otherwise known as the Children’s Automated Respiration Monitor, is a battery-powered breathing rate monitor. This device enables health workers to accurately diagnose pneumonia with children under five, so a simple, cost-effective treatment using widely available medication can be put in motion. Unlike existing solutions, ChARM is designed for ease of use, even by untrained or insufficiently trained healthcare workers. Its design, tailored to be user-friendly, creates a safe experience for young patients whilst guaranteeing an efficient and precise diagnosis.

The ChARM team has worked with Philips, the International Rescue Committee, UNICEF, Maternova, Healthy Entrepreneurs and Save the Children, offering a glimpse of the device's potential. With Philips Foundation as a partner, the future looks promising. So what's next? ChARM is currently in the phase of a slight redesign and preparing the necessary steps for recertification. After this they will resume production, so the device can be easily available where it's needed most.

For more information

ChARM : Website

Maarten Neve | CEO | Linkedin

Oude Parklaan 111, 1901 ZZ Castricum

The Netherlands

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