2023 – Duke Global Health Innovation Center

21Dec 2023 by kmitch@duke.edu

2024 Annual Forum

Events

Register today for the 2024 Annual Forum Visit our Annual Forum event website for the latest updates. This is your chance to be part of an incredible event filled with global health insights, inspiration, and invaluable networking opportunities. Register now and secure your spot. Event Details Date: October 3-4, 2024 Location: Duke University in DC (1201 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20004, US) or anywhere virtually The Hotel Washington is our preferred hotel What to Expect This one-of-a-kind convening is attended by senior leaders in the life sciences industry, innovative entrepreneurs with novel healthcare solutions, global health researchers, executives from multinational corporations and foundations, leaders from public and private health systems, as well as social impact funders and investors. This unique opportunity brings together stakeholders from across the healthcare ecosystem to network and discuss…

18Dec 2023 by kmitch@duke.edu

Innovations in Healthcare becomes founding partner of G7 initiative for impact investing in health

Blog

Innovations in Healthcare is proud to be a founding partner of the Impact Investing Initiative for Global Health (Triple I for Global Health). About Triple I for Global Health In recent years, the financial burden on the global health sector has increased, particularly in low- and middle–income countries. To meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, both public and private funds must be mobilized. In response, the Triple I for Global Health initiative was developed. World leaders at the Hiroshima G7 Summit endorsed this initiative, emphasizing the important role of the private sector towards enabling sustainable financing in global health, including through impact investments. [caption id="attachment_4962" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Pictured (left to right) at the UNGA78 event “Toward more Resilient, Equitable and Sustainable Universal Health Coverage by 2030": Bill Gates Co-chair of…

13Dec 2023 by kmitch@duke.edu

Highlighting Test-and-Treat Lessons at Africa Public Health Conference

News

African public health officials, key implementers, and other stakeholders reviewed progress and lessons from COVID-19 test-and-treat programs November 27 at an official side event of the 3rd annual International Conference on Public Health in Africa, held in Lusaka, Zambia. Many organizations, including co-hosts the COVID Treatment QuickStart Consortium, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and Zambia Ministry of Health, have been working to accelerate access to COVID-19 treatments. [caption id="attachment_4958" align="alignright" width="300"] Panelists at the Official Side Event of CPHIA 2023: “Lessons for Establishing Integrated Test-and-Treat Programs to Deliver Lifesaving Treatments for COVID-19 and Other Health Challenges.”[/caption] Since July 2022, the QuickStart Consortium, comprising Duke University, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Americares, and the COVID Collaborative, has partnered with ten…

13Dec 2023 by kmitch@duke.edu

QuickStart Team Visit to Zambia University Teaching Hospital, November 30, 2023

News

Zambia was the first QuickStart country to start test and treat using donated Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir for high-risk COVID-19 patients. In a recent visit to Lusaka, Zambia for the 3rd Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA), representatives from the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and Duke University visited the Zambia University Teaching Hospital (UTH). UTH was the first facility in Zambia to offer COVID-19 test and treat services and also served as a warehouse[1] and an initial treatment distribution point, during COVID-19 surges, to other facilities. [caption id="attachment_4872" align="alignright" width="300"] Representatives from Ministry of Health-Zambia, University teaching Hospital, Clinton Health Access Initiative and Duke University during the hospital visit[/caption] At the hospital, the visiting team was welcomed by the Director of Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health and Zambia National Public Health…

13Nov 2023 by Melissa Slogan

The lasting impact of 2023 Team Week

Blog

Reflections following the Duke Global Health Innovation Center + Innovations in Healthcare Team Week Last week, team members from across the globe convened in Durham, North Carolina, for our annual Duke Global Health Innovation Center + Innovations in Healthcare Team Week. Our highly anticipated Team Week fosters camaraderie, communication, and collaboration through engaging activities, both in and outside of the office; a welcome reprieve from the oft fast-paced environment where one could easily become consumed by their deadlines, emails, and the like. Day 1: Setting the stage Team Week started with a simple request: “Share a picture that shows something you are proud of from the past year.” This simple question garnered an array of inspirational stories, laughter, tears, and genuine joy for one another’s personal achievements. Each photo enabled us…

31Oct 2023 by Melissa Slogan

A Glimpse into the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

Blog

Reflections following the United Nations General Assembly. Health is an investment, not an expense. The 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) focused on "Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all." UNGA78 brought world leaders to New York City, USA in September 2023 to discuss pressing global health challenges. The event featured three high-level meetings on health, addressing: Pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response; Tuberculosis; and, Universal health coverage (UHC). Members of the Duke Global Health Innovation Center (Duke GHIC) and Innovations in Healthcare (IiH) were honored to attend and participate in several side events. This blog explores highlights from the various sessions our team participated in. Leading with Purpose…

11Oct 2023 by Melissa Slogan

Zambia’s COVID-19 Case Manager Leads Country’s Successful Test-and-Treat Roll Out

Blog

October 11, 2023 By Nellie Bristol Zambia was facing a 5th COVID-19 wave in December 2022, when it gained a new tool to fight the disease: its first ever shipments of oral antivirals. Infectious disease physician Nyuma Mbewe, fresh from completing her medical residency and elevated to National COVID-19 Case Management Specialist within the Zambia Ministry of Health, was charged with ensuring the life-saving drugs reached those in need. With the help of colleagues, including critical support from Zambia’s Director of Infectious Diseases Lloyd Mulenga, she and her team quickly created the distribution and tracking systems, training materials, and public communications required. Aided by Mbewe’s leadership, Zambia made nirmatrelvir/ritonavir available within days of its arrival and administered more than 400 courses over a two-month period. The quick action provided protection…

31Aug 2023 by Melissa Slogan

Responding to unmet family planning needs

Blog

Reflections following the ReachHealth Initiative 7.7 million women in the Philippines wanted to use family planning in 2017, but were unable to do so.1 That same year, teenage pregnancies were at 9% and live births by teenage mothers (aged 10-19) were 196,478.2 In response to these dire unmet family planning needs and high teenage pregnancy rates, the Duke Global Health Innovation Center (Duke GHIC), RTI International, and the Johns Hopkins Center for Communications Programs, implemented the ReachHealth Initiative. ReachHealth, a five-year initiative (2018-2023), aimed to strengthen and improve access to critical health services for Filipino families. This blog explores the challenges, key activities, and reflections following the initiative’s conclusion. [caption id="attachment_4203" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Caption: Photos from the USAID Innovation Accelerator Impact Showcase held February 2022 in the Philippines. Four digital…

22May 2023 by Melissa Slogan

The Time to Act is Now on Antimicrobial Resistance, the Shadow Pandemic

Blog

A timely #IiHForum23 panel discussion Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing public health threat with the potential to cause a global pandemic. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites develop resistance to antimicrobial drugs that were previously effective in treating infections. This means that infections that were once easily treatable can become difficult, if not impossible, to treat. On April 25, 2023, key stakeholders from around the globe came together to discuss the critical challenges and necessary efforts to combat AMR at the IiH Annual Forum, at the same time that the European Commission adopted a proposal to intensify efforts to address AMR, and the United States Congress reintroduced the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Upsurging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act to encourage novel drug development to treat resistant infections. Panelists included AMR…

22May 2023 by Melissa Slogan

Oral Antiviral Access Critical to Saving Lives, Controlling COVID-19 Outbreaks

Blog

Oral Antiviral Access Critical to Saving Lives, Controlling COVID-19 Outbreaks This virus is here to stay. It is still killing, and it’s still changing. The risk remains of new variants emerging that cause new surges in cases and deaths. The worst thing any country could do now is to... let down its guard, to dismantle the systems it has built, or to send the message to its people that COVID-19 is nothing to worry about.—World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, May 5, 2023 Recent actions by the World Health Organization and the United States to remove the designation of COVID-19 as a public health emergency follow similar moves by almost all countries, deprioritizing COVID-19 responses. Yet the disease remains a serious threat, claiming thousands of lives each week, particularly…