How Technology Is Helping Save Newborn Lives Across Africa

Across the African continent, more mothers are giving birth in health facilities than ever before. Yet for many newborns, survival still depends on something simple but often missing: access to the right medical equipment at the right time.

That is the challenge that Hatch Technologies is working to solve.

Headquartered in Nairobi, Hatch Technologies is transforming how life-saving maternal and newborn health devices are delivered, maintained, and used across the continent. The organisation emerged from the NEST360 initiative, a global coalition focused on ending preventable newborn deaths in African hospitals.

While many hospitals across Africa have seen improvements in infrastructure, critical gaps remain. High-quality medical devices are often difficult to access, too expensive, or left unused due to lack of training and maintenance support.

Hatch Technologies is tackling this problem by rethinking the entire ecosystem around medical equipment.

Rather than focusing only on supplying devices, the organisation works across the full value chain, from procurement and distribution to training and long-term technical support. This ensures that technologies are not only delivered, but actually used effectively to save lives.

Its portfolio includes essential neonatal technologies such as CPAP machines for breathing support, phototherapy devices for treating jaundice, and oxygen systems for critical care.

But beyond the devices themselves, Hatch is also introducing systems that improve how healthcare facilities manage and maintain equipment.

Through its approach, Hatch collaborates with manufacturers, local distributors, and healthcare providers to ensure that equipment is properly installed, maintained, and supported over time. This includes training healthcare workers and technicians, as well as strengthening supply chains so that spare parts and consumables are consistently available.

Through its work within the NEST360 initiative, Hatch Technologies is supporting newborn care systems across several African countries, with ongoing efforts to expand its reach even further.

The organisation is also helping to address a critical but often overlooked issue: financing. By working with partners and using innovative funding models, Hatch supports distributors in maintaining stock and ensuring that hospitals can access the equipment they need without long delays.

Through its partnership with the Gates Foundation, Hatch Technologies is scaling these solutions across multiple countries, supporting a broader effort to strengthen maternal and newborn health systems in Africa.

This work is part of a larger push to ensure that no child dies from preventable causes due to lack of basic medical technology.

At the 2026 Gates Foundation Kenya Partners Convening, Hatch Technologies highlighted how combining innovation with strong local partnerships can transform healthcare delivery. Its model shows that solving health challenges is not only about innovation, but about ensuring that solutions reach the people who need them most.

As Africa continues to strengthen its health systems, the role of technology will be critical. But as Hatch demonstrates, technology alone is not enough. It must be accessible, supported, and embedded within systems that work.

In bridging the gap between innovation and access, Hatch Technologies is helping ensure that more newborns not only survive, but have a chance to thrive.