December 2021

USAID continues work to provide access to medical oxygen

Earlier this month, USAID convened a strategic coordination meeting to align forward-looking oxygen investments with partners. In preparation for the meeting, eight organizations provided information on 225 oxygen activities to use as a basis for discussion and alignment. CII’s Market Access Lead, Nikki Tyler, also presented on oxygen to the Africa Donor Collective, along with panelists on vaccines and diagnostics. CII helped coordinate the development and implementation of a strategy that guides USAID investment into medical oxygen.

Global Digital Health Forum highlights USAID Digital Health Vision

The Global Digital Health Network (GDHN) virtually convened the Global Digital Health Forum (GDHF), bringing over 2,300 participants from more than 100 countries around the world. This year, Acting Assistant Administrator Jennifer Adams showcased how USAID is acting on the Digital Health Vision in a keynote speech. CII’s Digital Health team led and participated in a variety of events, including a presentation from Adele Waugaman on the need to assess digital systems through tools such as the Navigator for Digital Health Capability Models and a discussion with Merrick Schaefer on the ways in which games like Architects of Digital Health can teach us about how to plan for vaccine rollouts.

NEST360, a Saving Lives at Birth Grand Challenge winner, receives GHTC Innovating for Impact Award

On December 8, Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies (NEST360), a Saving Lives at Birth winner, received the Innovating for Impact Partnership Award from the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC). NEST360 is an international alliance working to reduce neonatal mortality by providing services that enable local governments, health care workers, and biomedical engineers to save newborn lives. They deliver eight life-saving devices (such as radiant warmers, oxygen concentrators, and suction machines) along with an implementation toolkit to support their integration and rollout. Previously recognized by the MacArthur Foundation as a finalist in its 100& Change competition, NEST360 has helped deliver over 2,000 newborn technologies in Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, and Tanzania, and trained over 10,000 doctors, nurses, medical faculty, and biomedical engineers.