Technologies -- appropriate and inappropriate

People often think that "technology" means "machines". But according to WHO a technology is an association of methods, procedures, techniques, and equipment which, together with the people using them, can contribute to solving a health problem. An appropriate technology is one that is scientifically sound, adapted to local needs, acceptable to those who use it or for whom it is used, and that can be maintained and utilized with resources that the community can afford. Many different technologies have contributed enormously to reducing maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. Yet, very often, not enough attention is paid to the economic, human, and infrastructure implications of the technology or to the implications of introducing it into a new setting. This issue of Safe Motherhood looks at some of the technologies currently widely available in maternal and neonatal health care and asks two simple questions. Has this technology been evaluated in different settings? And at which level of the health care system can this technology be used appropriately?