Deadline: 10 December 2018
The World Health Organization (WHO) in the African Region has launched the first WHO Africa Innovation Challenge calling for health innovations with the potential for having significant social impact and addressing the unmet health needs on the continent.
The WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) recognises the critical role that innovation can play in supporting Africa to address the continent’s biggest problems in healthcare and is excited to announce the launch of the World Health Organisation Africa Innovation Challenge. The Challenge will source, select and support innovators, researchers and community-based initiatives, including youth and women that are working on novel solutions that improve health outcomes, quality of life, and apply new and fresh thinking to address unmet health needs for Africa.
This Challenge will prioritise innovative and scalable healthcare solutions for selection. The three submission categories are Product, Service and Social Innovation.
There will be a dedicated website/platform which will highlight these healthcare innovations. The platform will serve as a dynamic marketplace to connect diverse stakeholders such as ministries of various sectors of the government as well as health experts, academics and public and private investors. Qualifying users on the platform will be able to leverage the global network.
Entries will be assessed by a panel of independent evaluators based on the innovation’s potential impact on health in Africa as well as the possibility of being replicated or scaled-up.
The launch of this Challenge and platform serves as a precursor to the Africa Health Forum to be held in Cape Verde in March 2019, the premier gathering of political and business leaders in the region devoted to health.
Benefits
- Selected Finalists will be awarded a sponsorship covering flights, accommodation to attend the Forum. At this event, they will get the opportunity to exhibit their innovations and meet with top political, government and business leaders in the health space.
- They will also get a chance to exhibit their solutions at the annual meeting of Ministers of Health from the WHO African Region in August 2019, in Brazzaville, Congo.
Eligibility Criteria
- This Challenge is open to solutions that comply with the following eligibility criteria listed below – solutions that are:
- African-Relevant: Solutions that are developed in and/or relevant to Africa in addressing one or more health-related problems or applying an innovative approach for delivering solutions in Africa.
- Innovative: Solutions that address one or more problems in a new and different way often through a simpler and more effective means that is novel.
- Scalable: Solutions that are realistic and have the capability and potential to be enlarged and replicated.
- Other eligibility criteria include that:
- This Challenge is open to individuals, teams, for-profit, non-profit entities (including hybrid entities i.e. social enterprises), academic institutions or research institutions.
- Entrants are not required to be formally registered in order to qualify for the Challenge
- Applicants must be:
- Africa nationals residing in Africa or outside of Africa; or
- Foreign nationals either based in Africa or, if not based in Africa, then working with an African-based entity.
How to Apply
Applicants can apply online via given website.
For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2Ff3n3S