The “Monthly Roundup” is a monthly newsletter dedicated to sharing the latest news from the Duke Global Health Innovation Center and Innovations in Healthcare. View the September 2024 newsletter. Subscribe to the monthly newsletter.
Welcome to the second installment of the Innovations in Healthcare Global Health Innovation Grantees blog series. Access the first blog here. History of the Global Health Innovation Grants Program Since 2016, The Pfizer Foundation’s Global Health Innovation Grants (GHIG) program has supported community-based initiatives that aim to improve quality of care and strengthen health systems in lower income countries. Innovations in Healthcare supports GHIG grantees by facilitating connections, hosting program-specific workshops and peer convenings at the Annual Forum while also conducting regular program monitoring to provide portfolio and individual results to the Pfizer Foundation. Now in its eighth year (GHIG8), 20 new recipients have each received a USD $100,000 one-year grant to drive innovative solutions that help address vaccine-preventable illness in their communities. [caption id="attachment_5800" align="aligncenter" width="596"] GHIG8 geographic scope. This year’s grantees…
The 2024-25 Global Health Innovation Grantees Blog Series 1 of 4, via Innovations in Healthcare History of the Global Health Innovation Grants Program Since 2016, The Pfizer Foundation’s Global Health Innovation Grants (GHIG) program has supported community-based initiatives that aim to improve quality of care and strengthen health systems in lower income countries. Innovations in Healthcare supports GHIG grantees by facilitating connections, hosting program-specific workshops and peer convenings at the Annual Forum while also conducting regular program monitoring to provide portfolio and individual results to the Pfizer Foundation. Now in its eighth year (GHIG8), 20 new recipients have each received a USD $100,000 one-year grant to drive innovative solutions that help address vaccine-preventable illness in their communities. [caption id="attachment_5800" align="aligncenter" width="596"] GHIG8 geographic scope. This year’s grantees address a range of infectious diseases…
This newsletter aims to provide a central hub for information, milestones, and updates regarding the COVID Treatment QuickStart Consortium. The COVID Treatment QuickStart Consortium partners with governments to rapidly introduce and scale access to COVID-19 oral antiviral therapies in vulnerable and high-risk populations presenting with mild to moderate symptoms within five days of symptom onset through a public health test-and-treat model. QuickStart’s top priorities are: Ensuring treatments are accessible in all parts of the world; Preparing for potential future COVID-19 surges; and Building primary healthcare capacity for test-and-treat beyond COVID-19. View the July 2024 QuickStart newsletter. Subscribe to the QuickStart newsletter.
Market access to COVID-19 oral therapeutics in low- and middle-income (LMIC) countries was delayed. It took nearly fifteen months from the US FDA emergency use listing for nirmatrelvir/ritonavir to be delivered to the first LMIC countries by global buyers, long after the major COVID-19 waves had passed. Vaccines played a major role in managing the pandemic; next time the first line of defense may be therapeutics, reinforcing the need to identify key insights and develop recommendations that will hasten the process in future global emergencies. The QuickStart Consortium undertook a rapid policy analysis to understand global and national level factors that delayed market access to oral antivirals. The analysis established that significant but solvable challenges slowed down the time taken to get the oral antivirals to people when they needed…
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global public health menace. When antimicrobials are ineffective against previously treatable infections, it undermines the ability of health systems around the world to treat even minor infections, resulting in more expensive treatments, and excess mortality and morbidity when infections become untreatable. A recent study on the burden of AMR estimates nearly 5 million deaths associated with bacterial AMR in 2019, with 1.3 million deaths attributable to bacterial AMR 1, suggesting that AMR is at least as large as HIV and malaria. Of all the regions, Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest mortality rate from bacterial AMR at 27.3 deaths per 100,000.1 This high burden is exacerbated by a shortage of trained professionals and limited microbiology laboratory capabilities. In fact, only 1.3% of the 50,000 medical laboratories in…
The Duke Global Health Innovation Center (Duke GHIC) and Innovations in Healthcare (IiH) adhere to core values, including education and capacity building, which improve access to quality, affordable healthcare worldwide. Supporting this core value, we partner with the Duke Global Health Institute’s (DGHI) global health capstone course. This course embodies the intersection of education, innovation, and collaboration in addressing global health challenges. Through experiential learning and mentorship, it empowers students to become catalysts for positive change, preparing the next generation of global health leaders. DGHI’s Class of 2024 undergraduate global health majors Photo by: Chris Hildreth/Rooster Media Productions Bridging Theory and PracticeAt the start of this semester-long partnership, students break into small teams based on their health interests. Then, they are matched with a selected Innovations in Healthcare network innovator to design a practical solution to the innovators’…
Allow us to re-introduce ourselves Unveiling the new and improved Duke Global Health Innovation Center website We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new and improved website. After months of planning, design, and development, we are excited to finally unveil an innovative digital experience that reflects our commitment to addressing critical health challenges worldwide. So, what can you expect from the revamped Duke Global Health Innovation Center website? Let’s explore a few of the updates: Streamlined Navigation: Whether you're exploring our initiatives, browsing our research, or looking for ways to stay connected, our intuitive navigation menu makes it easier for you to find the information you need. Comprehensive Resources: From research reports and case studies to toolkits and blogs, you have access to health innovation, policy, financing, and…
The healthcare industry is constantly evolving, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into clinical and operational workflows has the potential to bring significant improvements in care delivery, especially for frontline health workers such as community health workers (CHWs). Innovations in Healthcare recently conducted a study that focused on how three organizations - Audere, Simprints, and ThinkMD - are using AI to support CHWs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The study findings were recently shared in a webinar hosted by Innovations in Healthcare. During the webinar, leaders from these social enterprises and their implementing partners, delved into this growing field, unraveling insightful perspectives and illuminating the potential of AI in revolutionizing healthcare accessibility and equity. The panelists shared the insights below as part of their work leveraging AI for frontline health workers: Unlocking AI's Potential: Revolutionizing…
The status quo is not good enough to solve global health challenges. The world needs collaborative and innovative solutions. One powerful solution is the Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) Practicum. This unique alliance links students in the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) Education Program with Innovations in Healthcare (IiH) network innovators to address critical health, social, and environmental problems around the world. This collaborative effort fosters a diverse range of perspectives while harnessing the passion and skills of the next generation of healthcare leaders. About the course Launched in 2019, the I&E Practicum enables a collaboration between global health students and innovators extending beyond academic boundaries. This approach enhances the students’ educational experience while making a tangible contribution to the development of innovative, sustainable solutions. Working in multidisciplinary teams, students work with carefully selected innovators…
