Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has joined forces with Switzerland-based company Seedstars, to launch INFUSE 2024, a globally open initiative calling for innovation proposals. The main aims of the initiative are to strengthen health systems against the threats posed by climate change and improve the delivery of immunization programs.
Seedstars is committed to transforming lives in developing countries through the power of technology and entrepreneurship. On the other hand, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is a public and private partnership responsible for vaccinating over half of the world’s children against some of the world’s most deadly diseases.
INFUSE, an abbreviation for “Innovation for Uptake, Scale, and Equity in Immunisation,” is a Gavi-led program purposed to expand effective worldwide health solutions by linking highly influential, validated innovations to regions where they are most needed.
The program will set out to identify and enlarge innovations promoting low-carbon, sustainable and resilient healthcare systems. It also looks to improve the capabilities of front-line health workers in managing health threats related to climate change and ensuring effective vaccine distribution, particularly under challenging climatic conditions.
Augustin Flory, Gavi’s managing director for innovative partnerships and development finance, accentuated the ramifications climate crisis could have on preventable diseases and immunisation initiatives. He highlighted that INFUSE is a fundamental platform for generating up-to-the-minute innovations in helping the healthcare community to adapt and mitigate against climate change.
Seedstars’ Africa programme manager, Sheilla Atieno, emphasized the critical importance of this collaboration in the struggle against health repercussions triggered by climate change. She urged global innovators to contribute solutions towards building health systems that can withstand climate change effects.
Applications are open here.
