June 2018

Where Art Meets Science: BUMP Performance at SL@B DevelopmentX Change

We are excited to announce that this year's DevelopmentXChange will feature a performance of scenes from BUMP, this year's mainstage production of the EST/Sloan Project, inspired by Jorge Odón, the Argentinian car mechanic and innovator behind the SL@B-supported Odon Device. Join us for a panel of special guests following the production who will discuss the inspiration behind the play, the role of innovation at the intersection of art and science, and the importance of partnerships to make it all happen. "If you are pregnant, if you have been pregnant, if you have resulted from a pregnancy, you will probably find it very funny." – The New York Times. REGISTER TO JOIN THIS YEAR'S DEVELOPMENTXCHANGE ON JULY 26TH.

CII Sessions at Aspen Ideas Festival:Design Thinking and Innovative Financing

At Spotlight Health, the opening segment of the annual Aspen Ideas Festival, CII and partners spoke on two panels discussing nontraditional approaches to global health in order to reach our Sustainable Development Goals. One session, Design Thinking: A New Strategy for Shaping Global Health shared the value of design as a novel approach that promotes human-centered, financially viable solutions that address long-languishing problems. The second session, On the Frontier of Global Health Financing, shared opportunities in innovative financing to attract new pools of funding in global health while generating rewards for achieving positive health outcomes.

WHO Resolution Maps New Digital Health Agenda

USAID, working with other U.S. government representatives, contributed to a new WHO resolution on digital health approved at the May World Health Assembly meeting. The resolution was welcomed by the Government of India, one of the original drafters of the resolution, as part of a "new digital health agenda" that underscores the importance of nationally-supported digital health strategies, supporting and investing in the digital health enabling environment (including policy, standards, capacity, interoperability, privacy and security, and more), and transitioning to sustainability and government ownership. To learn more about digital health, and USAID's role, please visit USAID's digital health webpage.

Innovator Insights: Illuminating the Path for Tomorrow's Inventors

There's a critical need to cultivate innovators and entrepreneurs that are well-equipped to solve global health challenges and create lasting impact. VentureWell's recently published report, Innovator Insights: Illuminating the Path for Tomorrow's Inventors, highlights valuable findings and best practices from working with several Saving Lives at Birth innovators around embarking on a journey in global health innovation and entrepreneurship. This report was made possible by USAID/CII, The Lemelson Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Download the report.