May 2021

Map & Match country briefs released

USAID’s Map & Match Project led by PATH/Digital Square conducted a landscaping of country digital health tools and rapid assessment to identify opportunities where digital tools may aid in the COVID-19 response. As the world learned during the West Africa Ebola outbreak response, prioritizing the reuse and adaptation of existing digital tools is vital to quickly scale access to time-sensitive disease information and data. The landscaping has been completed and country briefs are being released with information on digital health tools identified, opportunities for use, and digital health recommendations to support the COVID-19 response. The briefs will be shared with our partners, including USAID, GIZ, UNICEF, World Bank, Gates Foundation, the Global Fund, GAVI, WHO, and each country's Ministry of Health. Each brief will also be added to the Digital Health Atlas.

Devex highlights Saving Lives at Birth

A recently published Devex article, “Health innovators seek more support as maternal, newborn deaths rise” highlights the Saving Lives at Birth Grand Challenge journey along with various maternal and child health innovators supported by the partnership. The article spotlights Little Sparrows Technologies and their newborn jaundice phototherapy treatment product, Bilihut, which received a SL@B seed grant at a pivotal time of growth. CII Senior Innovation Advisor Meghan Majorowski and former CII Director Wendy Taylor are both quoted, underscoring the importance of bringing in new and diverse partners to support and scale innovation in the maternal and child health space. The article advocates for continuing to support and scale innovations in maternal and child health.

CII joins AstraZeneca, Villgro Africa, and Resonance in Open Innovation Panel

CII’s Senior Advisor Meghan Majorowski spoke on a panel on Open Innovation for Global Health led by Resonance. As part their Inclusive Innovation Exchange webinar series, Meghan joined panelists Pamela Hill (AstraZeneca Open Innovation program Head) and Wilfred Njagi (Villgro Africa CEO) and moderator Stephen Rahaim (Chief of Party of the USAID Catalyst Project, Resonance) to discuss models and lessons learned for open innovation in global health, the role that it can play in connecting global and local health ecosystems, and the role of partnerships.