Application Opens For WHO Africa Innovation Challenge for New Solutions to Improve Health in Africa

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 a significant social impact and addressing the unmet health needs on the continent.

“This Innovation Challenge recognizes the critical need for innovations to address the continent’s challenges in healthcare,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “WHO champions the promotion of homegrown solutions to address health challenges in reproductive, maternal and child health, infectious diseases, noncommunicable diseases and other key areas. We hope this challenge will spark the entrepreneurial spirit of innovators and lead to credible health innovations across the continent”.

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:
  1. Africa nationals residing in Africa or outside of Africa; or
  2. Foreign nationals either based in Africa or, if not based in Africa, then working with an African-based entity.

Selection Criteria

Preference will be given to:

• Solutions that have already either
  1. Gone beyond the “proof of concept” and are at the pilot stage of development or in the process of being scaled up; or
  2. Solutions that are in the early stage of commercialization after all the regulatory procedures have been completed and only require scaling up; as well as
• Solutions that demonstrate the ability or potential to address key health concerns in an accessible, affordable and sustainable way; and
• Solutions that demonstrate evidence of ease of use, replicability, durability, and other relevant factors to justify appropriateness for low resource settings.

The specific criteria for classifying innovations as either product/technology or process/service or social innovations are as follows:

1. Product or Technological Innovations

1. The solution must clearly show innovation (i.e. novelty or invention)
2. The solution must address existing health problem/s
3. The solution must be ready to go to market
4. The solution must be completely developed or be at the prototype stage

2. Process or Service Innovations

The solution must clearly show innovation (i.e. novelty or invention)

1. The solution must address an existing health service delivery problem (i.e. demonstrate efficiency, effectiveness or cost-effectiveness)

3. Social Innovations

The solution must clearly show innovation (i.e. novelty or invention)

1. The solution must be addressing existing social challenge affecting health service delivery such as accessibility, affordability or awareness

Detailed information on the criteria and the application form is available at www.afro.who.int/innovchallenge

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.

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.

Applications must be submitted online and will close on Monday 10 December 2018 at midnight (GMT+1).