FEATURE
USAID Administrator highlights Digital Health Vision in keynote speech at the Global Digital Development Forum
Earlier this month, USAID Administrator Samantha Power gave the keynote address at the Global Digital Development Forum, an event meant to explore the long-term challenges to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the opportunities to collectively build an open, inclusive, and secure digital ecosystem. The event had over 3,000 participants from around the world. In her keynote, Administrator Power touched on USAID’s history of supporting digital development and connected to our COVID-19 response, highlighting the Digital Health Vision for allowing USAID to “[begin] more deliberately strengthening country digital health systems that will have knock-on benefits for health and welfare well beyond the pandemic.”
The Digital Health Vision is USAID’s first dedicated policy guidance for its investments in digital technologies that support health programs in its partner countries. To address challenges like lack of sustainability and interoperability, the Vision outlines a systems-level approach to supporting partner countries’ health sector digital transformation.
Innovation
White House Office of Science and Technology (OSTP) report spotlights health Grand Challenges
On May 4th, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) launched its seventh Report on the Implementation of Federal Prize and Citizen Science Authority (for FY19- 20), analyzing how Federal agencies use prize competitions and challenges. 29 USAID prize competitions, challenges, and Grand Challenges contributed data to the analysis. The report found that among the federal agencies represented, USAID “stood out as exceptional in both how and why it uses prize competitions and challenges” – and highlighted CII’s Fighting Ebola and Combating Zika Grand Challenges as exciting examples of this type of direct support.
Market Access
USAID Administrator and Coca-Cola executives underscore Project Last Mile (PLM) partnership
Administrator Power met with Saadia Madsbjerg, President, The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) and Michael Goltzman, Vice-President, Global Policy and Sustainability, The Coca-Cola Company (TCCS), and Adrian Ristow, Project Last Mile Project Director, to discuss the flagship private sector partnership Project Last Mile (PLM). As the press release emphasized, Administrator Power, Ms. Madsbjerg, Mr. Golztman, and Mr. Ristow discussed how this crucial collaboration advances public health goals by leveraging Coca-Cola’s supply chain, logistics, and strategic marketing expertise. USAID remains a leading strategic partner in PLM and aims to continue to expand its geographic footprint and overall impact.
Innovation
Acting Director Amy Lin delivers keynote address at Bay Area Global Health Alliance Annual Meeting
On May 12th, CII’s Acting Director, Amy Lin, served as the keynote address for the Bay Area Global Health Alliance (BAGHA) Annual Meeting. The meeting was focused on sharing knowledge about where the global health sector is headed with BAGHA’s 60+ multi-sector organizations, which includes academic institutions, NGOs, tech companies, and more. Amy noted in her remarks the increased focus on localization in our global health and innovation work, commented on megatrends that CII and our partners are tracking, and emphasized the opportunities for impact presented by blended finance and artificial intelligence.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
View from the Hill: A conversation with Rep. Lauren Underwood
May 20, 2022
Beam Exchange
Responding to shocks using market-based approaches: insights from RDC Bangladesh
May 24, 2022
Aspen Institute
Aspen Ideas: Health
June 22 - 25, 2022
News
Yahoo! Finance
ideas42 announces Global Health Advisory Council to expand impact of behavioral science
May 17, 2022
Imperial College London
Global general practitioner survey identifies promises and pitfalls of virtual care
May 16, 2022
New York Times
At Biden’s summit, other nations pledge billions to bolster pandemic response
May 12, 2022
Funding Opportunities
CII NEWS
Senator Brian Schatz asks about Administrator Power about implementation of Digital Health Vision in Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing
Senior Digital Health Coordinator Adele Waugaman kicks off Digital Health Applied Leadership Program, discusses priorities of USAID Digital Health Vision
USAID Medium blog showcases Promoting Mums Through Pregnancy
What We're Reading (And Listening To)
The Washington Post
Atul Gawande on why we still need covid funding
Skoll Foundation
Elephant in the room: funder/government power dynamics
Johann Hari
Stolen Focus: Why you can’t pay attention – and how to think deeply again
NPR
Why are McDonald’s ice cream machines always broken?
Job Opportunities
Technical Program Manager, Innovation and Impact
Digital Square
Program Officer, Partnerships and Impact
Digital Square
USAID's Center for Innovation and Impact (CII) takes a business-minded approach to fast-tracking the development, introduction and scale-up of health interventions that address the world's most important health challenges. CII invests seed capital in the most promising ideas and novel approaches, using forward-looking business practices to cut the time it takes to transform discoveries in the lab to impact on the ground.