Background
Child health records are something every parent needs - no matter where they live - to ensure their child receives life-saving vaccines they need to live a healthy productive life. However, many families never receive health records for their children, or, if they do receive them, they can be easily destroyed or lost. The Records for Life contest, sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was launched to address these key challenges and inspire creativity to rethink and redesign immunisation cards.
Solution
Our entry focused on improving the child health record to strengthen information systems and empower health works and families to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases and ultimately save lives. We focused on making it easier for both the health worker to use the record, saving time and improving accuracy. Relevant illustration was used to engage the parent, providing valuable health information and encouraging the parent to keep the record safe for future immunisation visits. A polymer paper that could still be written on was used to also ensure the record was kept safe. Local languages were also incorporated to assist understanding in areas where literacy is an issue.
Results
More than 300 teams from 41 countries proposed ideas. Our entry was selected as a top 10 finalist and recognised at an awards ceremony at the International Interaction Design Association Conference in Amsterdam on February 8, 2014.
