Abstract
CARU (Community Acute Response Unit) is a paediatric emergency kit for community health workers responding to severe malaria in sub-saharan Africa.
Colour-coded and calibrated for children under five, it is a complete system for the hours between a positive test result and hospital arrival, a window which previously has not been designed for. It treats the acute and fatal complications of the referral journey, including seizures and hypoglycaemia, through purpose-designed instruments for the home visit and the road.
CARU extends the moment of community care into treatment, stabilisation and supported handover to a clinic. Developed with insight from Novartis and the Swiss TPH (Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute).