A prosthetic hand./PHOTO ;Courtesy
Children injured in crisis and conflict settings could regain mobility and dignity more quickly following a new investment by Save the Children in innovative prosthetic technology that allows limbs to be fitted in a single day.
The investment comes amid alarming evidence that explosive weapons are harming children at unprecedented levels.
According to a Save the Children report, explosive weapons were responsible for a record 70% of nearly 12,000 children killed or injured in conflict zones in 2024.
This represents an increase from an average of just over 60% between 2020 and 2024, highlighting a shift in how children are affected as fighting increasingly takes place in populated urban areas.
In 2024, a record 520 million children, more than one in five globally, were living in active conflict zones.
Save the Children says children are particularly vulnerable to explosive weapons because their smaller bodies and developing organs mean that even a single blast can cause catastrophic injury or death.
In response to this growing crisis, Save the Children Global Ventures (SCGV), the innovative finance arm of the child rights organisation, has invested US$600,000 in UK-based Amparo Prosthetics.
The investment is intended to expand access to lower-limb prosthetics for children and adults who have lost limbs, particularly in low-resource and humanitarian settings.
Amparo Prosthetics designs and provides lower-limb prosthetics that can be moulded and fitted on the same day using mobile equipment.
This approach addresses one of the major barriers faced by children in conflict-affected areas, where traditional prosthetics, often requiring multiple clinic visits over weeks or months, are difficult or impossible to access.
The company has developed the first direct-fit paediatric socket, specifically designed for children.
All Amparo sockets can be remoulded and refitted up to five times, allowing adjustments as a child grows and reducing the need for frequent replacements.
Paul Ronalds, CEO of Save the Children Global Ventures, said the investment reflects a commitment to restoring dignity and opportunity for children affected by conflict.
“Every child deserves the chance to move, play, and live with dignity, no matter what their circumstances,” Ronalds said.
“Amparo’s technology gives children who have lost a limb that opportunity, often on the same day they are fitted.
“Our investment will help bring this life-changing support to more children in crisis and conflict zones.”
Since its founding in 2014, Amparo sockets have been fitted to more than 5,000 amputees across 55 countries, in settings ranging from high-income clinical environments to low-resource and conflict-affected contexts, through partnerships with humanitarian organisations.
The need for such solutions remains acute as conflicts continue to injure children in multiple regions.
In Africa, prolonged and complex crises in countries such as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia have exposed children to explosive violence.
Beyond the continent, wars in Ukraine, Syria, and Afghanistan have also resulted in large numbers of children being killed, injured, or permanently disabled.
The Amparo investment forms part of a broader Save the Children effort to improve care for children injured by explosive weapons.
Save the Children UK, in partnership with Imperial College London and other international organisations, has established the Paediatric Blast Injury Partnership, bringing together humanitarian responders, clinicians, and researchers to improve outcomes for affected children.
One result of this collaboration is the Paediatric Blast Injury Field Manual, the first of its kind to guide medics in conflict zones on treating children with blast injuries.
The manual has been translated into nine languages and is currently used in 12 conflict settings, including Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan.
In 2023, the Centre for Paediatric Blast Injury Studies was launched at Imperial College London to strengthen global expertise, research, and clinical care for children injured by explosive weapons.
Federico Carpinteiro, CEO of Amparo Prosthetics, said the partnership would help extend the reach of the company’s work.
“Save the Children’s investment and global humanitarian reach will help us move our vision forward and deliver prosthetic care in places where it’s needed most,” he said.
As conflicts continue to place children at extreme risk, the investment signals how innovation, when paired with humanitarian action, can help children not only survive injury but also reclaim movement, dignity, and hope for the future.
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