July 2020

Leveraging the Power of Digital Technologies and Data Systems Against COVID- 19: Lessons from the Ebola outbreak response

Throughout the COVID-19 response, Senior Digital Health Advisors Adele Waugaman and Merrick Schaefer have showcased the digital development lessons learned from the Ebola crisis in West Africa and how these lessons can strengthen the COVID-19 response, including at DIAL’s Digital Donor’s Anonymous meeting and the virtual Tech Salon.

Adele and Merrick also co-wrote a blog titled Leveraging the Power of Digital Technologies and Data Systems Against COVID-19: Lessons from the Ebola outbreak response. The blog describes technological recommendations and lessons learned– and highlights projects like mHero, which was partially funded by the CII-supported Fighting Ebola Grand Challenge, that are now being used for COVID-19.

CII Joins the World Economic Forum’s COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs

CII joined the COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs, a collaboration between over 40 global organizations to support social entrepreneurs in pooling knowledge, experience, and responses to alleviate suffering and advance new models of change for a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world. Alliance members include Acumen, Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), Skoll Foundation, and Johnson & Johnson, and currently supports more than 15,000 social entrepreneurs serving 1.5 billion people cumulatively in over 190 countries.

ATscale

ATscale, The Global Partnership for Assistive Technology, envisions enabling a lifetime of potential where every person can access lifechanging assistive technology (AT) - such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, and eyeglasses - to survive and thrive. CII partnered with the USAID Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, to incubate and launch Atscale with the International Disability Alliance, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), UK Department for International Development (DFID), UNICEF, and others. Recently, ATscale concluded its virtual Board Meetings to approve its operational strategy for the coming year. ATscale plans to continue initiating investments to develop an enabling ecosystem and implement market shaping activities to achieve its goal of reaching over 500 million people with AT.

Utkrisht Development Impact Bond and COVID-19

The Utkrisht Development Impact Bond (DIB) is a public-private partnership between UBS Optimus Foundation, USAID, and Merck for Mothers, focused on improving services in private health facilities in Rajasthan, India, to reduce maternal mortality and reach up to 600,000 pregnant women and newborns in India. The Utkrisht DIB programs support, train and mentor private providers on quality care standards, which have bolstered hygiene and infection control protocols that are essential during the COVID-19 pandemic.

One champion physician from the program, Dr. Lila Vyas, explains that “COVID-19 has been a wakeup call... Luckily, women seeking care in Manyata certified hospitals may be at less risk because doctors and nurses have been extensively trained on universal infection prevention protocols…such as following hand hygiene, sterilizing instruments and hand gloves, and proper bio-medical waste disposal.”