USAID - Center for Innovation and Impact (CII)

Thanks to the team at JHU's?The Center for Global Digital Health Innovation for featuring USAID's new Digital Health Position Paper: 2024-2029 in their Research Roundup. The roundup includes an excellent synthesis of USAID's updated digital health policy guidance, and includes an interview with CII's?Adele Waugaman, the document's lead author. Join Adele,?Amarynth Sichel,?Merrick S., and other USAID colleagues for a deeper exploration of USAID's digital health policy guidance in practice next week at #GDHF2024.?Link to the full CGDHI?Research Roundup in the comments.

?? PRESS RELEASE ?? Improving maternal and newborn health: The Service, USAID's Center for Innovation and Impact (CIl), Grand Challenges Canada, and AMP Health, launch 10 innovative projects to enhance emergency care, patient tracking, and access to essential health services in six priority regions. #HealthInnovation USAID AMP Health Grand Challenges Canada

?? NEW PUBLICATION: USAID believes that digital technologies can be a critical enabler of better global health outcomes and more efficient service delivery. In support of this vision, join us and Data.FI Project in celebrating the launch of the ??Digital Community Systems Toolkit: Resources for Developing Person-Centered Digital Tools to Support Delivery of Integrated Community Services??. This toolkit seeks to guide community service stakeholders through the process of designing and adopting person-centered and integrated digital community systems. Read the resource in full at the link in comments! Overview of the toolkit: ???? The toolkit is designed to enhance community-level health and social services through digital systems; ??? The targets policymakers, implementers, and stakeholders involved in digital health, focusing on person-centered and integrated digital ecosystems; ?? Its purpose is to guide the selection, customization of tools, and strategic implementation of community-level digital systems, ensuring digital initiatives are effectively integrated into health ecosystems. ?? The benefits of this approach include improved service delivery, enhanced system maturity, and streamlined stakeholder collaboration. Congratulations to the authors: Netsanet Nigussie, Pascal M., Amarynth Sichel, Joy Kamunyori, PMP, and Sriyanjit Perera. Let us know how you use the toolkit!

“The Country Innovation Platform is an excellent example of how USAID can shift paradigms from global to locally-led innovation. Through partnership with the?Ghana Health Service, Grand Challenges Canada, and AMP Health, we are piloting an open innovation approach that puts local stakeholders in the lead to design and source innovations. We’re delighted that the Ghana Health Service chose to focus on tackling maternal and newborn mortality, one of USAID’s major health priorities.” —Dr. Atul Gawande, USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health. CII is very proud to partner with Ghana Health Service, Grand Challenges Canada, & AMP Health to support locally-led #maternal and #neonatal health innovation in Ghana! Learn about the challenge and selected innovations below ??

?? Join us on Nov. 21 at 9am EST to launch the Digital Community Systems Toolkit: a Resource for Implementing Partners, Governments, and Community Stakeholders. Register below ?? The webinar will walk through the Digital Community Systems Toolkit, a document co-authored by USAID and Data.FI Project that provides guidance for enhancing community health and social services through person-centered and integrated digital solutions. Drawing from experiences from the #SouthernAfrica region, the event will offer insights on how digital community systems can best be leveraged for those working in the implementation and program design spaces. The panelists include the Toolkit’s co-authors -- Netsanet Animut, Pascal M., Amarynth Sichel, Joy Kamunyori, PMP, and Sriyanjit Perera -- while Data.FI’s Project Director, Shreshth Mawandia, will moderate the discussion. ?? Webinar: Digital Community Systems Toolkit: a Resource for Implementing Partners, Governments, and Community Stakeholders ??? Date: Nov. 21, 2024 ? Time: 9:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) ?? Register for the webinar to secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/ei5Bbqtm #digitalcommunitysystems #digitalhealth #communitysystems

We are excited to announce the next webinar of our Winter Series, taking place on Nov. 21 at 9am EST, Launching the Digital Community Systems Toolkit: a Resource for Implementing Partners, Governments, and Community Stakeholders. Register here: https://lnkd.in/ei5Bbqtm The webinar will walk us through the Digital Community Systems Toolkit, a document co-authored by #USAID and Data.FI that provides guidance for enhancing community health and social services through person-centered and integrated digital solutions. Drawing from experiences from the #SouthernAfrica region, the event will offer insights on how DCS can best be leveraged for those working in the implementation and program design spaces. Our panelists include the Toolkit’s co-authors—Netsanet Animut, Pascal M., Amarynth Sichel, Joy Kamunyori, and Sriyanjit Perera. While Data.FI’s Project Director, Shreshth Mawandia, will moderate the discussion. This event builds upon insights gained at a technical workshop held in Cape Town in collaboration with Digital Square at PATH in November 2023 and will be the first opportunity for stakeholders to learn directly from the Toolkit’s co-authors and to hear about the innovative strategies that came out of this yearlong effort. ? We plan to follow up with additional launch activities in-person at the #GlobalDigitalHealthForum, held this year from Dec. 4–6 in Nairobi! ? #digitalcommunitysystems #digitalhealth #healthtech #communitysystems

Don't miss out! ?? Register for tomorrow's webinar to secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/gN_zKmhp

We are excited to feature some of the U.S. Department of State's partnerships with various actors, including international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and private sector entities. These partnerships are crucial for advancing U.S. foreign policy objectives and enhancing diplomatic efforts by leveraging additional resources and expertise. Partnerships build strong international relationships and promote peace and stability worldwide. Through Project Last Mile, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is scaling the impact of private sector expertise across borders. This approach isn’t just a one-off solution—it’s replicable! In countries like C?te d'Ivoire and South Africa, we’ve partnered with Project Last Mile to strengthen health systems and create sustainable impact by sharing the expertise and network of The Coca-Cola system. In C?te d’Ivoire, Project Last Mile is addressing challenges in the health supply chain by improving inventory management and reducing stockouts. By coaching staff in 39 health facilities, we’ve seen a 20% improvement in commodity order submissions and reduced stockouts of key HIV, family planning, and malaria commodities. In South Africa, where HIV prevalence remains high, Project Last Mile supports the National Department of Health’s Central Chronic Medicines Dispensing and Distribution program, known as Dablapmeds. By applying Coca-Cola’s logistics and retail expertise, the Dablapmeds program now provides 2.9 million active patients with easier access to medications through private sector pick-up points. Today, 64% of patients collect their medication this way, with 40% of antiretroviral therapy users benefiting from the program. Learn more about Project Last Mile by visiting www.projectlastmile.com.

USAID and Grand Challenges Canada will be hosting a webinar to discuss our new report, Unlocking Africa’s Health Innovation Potential: Navigating the Investment Readiness Landscape. The report identifies significant opportunities for #InvestmentReadinessPrograms to enhance and achieve greater capital flow to early-stage #HealthBusinesses in #Africa. The webinar will include investors, investment readiness programs/venture studios, and health innovators who shaped the findings! Speakers include Laurens Coeveld, Leeat Gellis, Naom Monari, Mila Nepomnyashchiy, Wilfred Njagi, Dr. Ken Simiyu. PhD, LLB, Madji Sock, and Sewu-Steve T. We look forward to sharing how Investment Readiness Programs can minimize funding gaps between African healthcare startups and investors. ?? Webinar: Unlocking Africa’s Health Innovation Potential: Navigating the Investment Readiness Landscape ??? Date: November 14, 2024 ? Time: 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) ?? Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/gsrdaPcA ?? Register for the webinar to secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/gN_zKmhp

?? NEW REPORT: African health startups face significant hurdles in scaling their operation, which limits their ability to contribute meaningfully to healthcare improvement and economic growth. Investment readiness programs (IRPs) hold significant opportunities to enhance and achieve greater capital flow to early-stage health businesses in Africa and cover the “missing middle.” ?? In “Unlocking Africa's Health Innovation Potential: Navigating the Investment Readiness Landscape”, USAID and Grand Challenges Canada explore IRP availability and effectiveness in Africa. Led by Open Capital with support from Salient Advisory, the analysis explores the strengths and weaknesses of the IRP landscape and makes specific recommendations for how to improve IRP support for health. ??? Hear from the investors, investment readiness programs/venture studios, and health innovators who shaped our findings! Join us for a webinar on Thursday, November 14 from 10:00 AM ET to 11:30 AM ET to learn how Investment Readiness Programs can minimize funding gaps between African healthcare startups and investors.?Speakers include Laurens Coeveld, Leeat Gellis, Naom Monari, Mila Nepomnyashchiy, Wilfred Njagi, Dr. Ken Simiyu. PhD, LLB, Madji Sock, and Sewu-Steve T. Read the report and register for the launch webinar in comments →