New Ideas

From new medical technologies to ground-breaking drugs to designing more effective health systems, innovation will be critical as we address current and emerging health challenges.

Featured story

The next big challenge: From new ideas to greater health outcomes

There's no dearth of ideas to improve global health. Success often hinges on leadership, funding and the ability to scale up innovative ways to deliver care around the world. Devex, along with leading players in global health, will explore new ideas as part of #HealthyMeans.

Good for health, good for business

Why would a multinational corporation like GSK decide to reinvest 20 percent of its profits from developing countries back into training health workers? Find out in this guest commentary for our #HealthyMeans campaign.

A gender data revolution for accountability and transparency in post-2015

To measure true progress in the new post-2015 development agenda, we need more than a mere data revolution — a “gender data revolution” is the way to go. An exclusive opinion by former U.N. Women Deputy Executive Director John Hendra and Eduardo Sojo, president of the Mexican National Institute of Geography, Statistics and Informatics.

How to create value for patients through innovation

What are the vital components of biopharmaceutical innovation and the conditions needed to create value in the form of new medicines for patients wherever they live in the world? Eli Lilly & Co. CEO and IFPMA President John Lechleiter shares his thoughts in an exclusive conversation for #HealthyMeans.

We can’t replace local organizations

International development groups are working more closely with their local partners on the ground to improve service delivery, including in health care. Find out why this trend shouldn't result in competition with local partners, in this video interview with Volkan Cakir, RTI International's regional director based Kenya.

New tool makes diagnosing river blindness faster, cheaper and less painful

Through a multilateral partnership, PATH has developed a new diagnostic tool to contribute to the eradication of onchocerciasis, more commonly known as river blindness. We spoke with a top official from the global health nonprofit.

Tailor-made health care solutions for a sustainable future

Being healthy is not just about being disease-free. It's also about being free from injury and — where possible — pain. In this opinion for #HealthyMeans, Diamedica's Robert Neighbour shares his company’s experience working on innovations to reduce deaths from trauma across Africa.

Pioneers, champions and naysayers: Oh my!

Battling the status quo in countries where women’s health and women’s rights aren't particularly trendy requires both pioneers and champions. But if it weren’t for naysayers, social change and movements wouldn't be necessary or possible. A #HealthyMeans opinion from mHealth Alliance's Patricia Mechael.

PATH CEO speaks out about global health innovation, SDGs, systems

PATH, a leader in global health innovation, is pushing to keep innovation in global health on the post-2015. Devex spoke Steve Davis, the NGO’s president and CEO about Ebola, the sustainable development goals and innovation.

Building on the microcredit platform for better child health

Low-cost, effective strategies to improve breastfeeding behaviors in underserved areas are urgently needed. In this commentary for #HealthyMeans, Dr. Valerie Flax shares how Partners for Development successfully used microfinance programs and SMS technology to promote breastfeeding among poor communities in Nigeria.

Keeping women healthy, alive and uninfected

Women in low- and middle-income countries still bear a disproportionate burden of HIV and AIDS, and it's time to diversify their toolkit. International Partnership for Microbicides' Zeda Rosenberg explains her optimism for a new HIV prevention product in this #HealthyMeans opinion.

Strengthen routine immunization programs, give mothers a reason to smile

In global vaccination efforts, producing the drugs is only the first step — what follows is the challenge of delivering them to communities in need explains Aristide Aplogan, director of the Agence de Médecine Préventive program, which won this year’s Gates Vaccine Innovation Award.

Innovations for malaria control: Advancing progress for a healthier, more prosperous world

As we get closer to the 2015 deadline for the MDGs and start crafting the SDGs, anti-malaria efforts should focus on five specific areas for increased innovation. An exclusive commentary by Dr. Fatoumata Nafo-Traoré, executive director of the Roll Back Malaria partnership.

Where does mHealth fit into the post-2015 agenda?

As the global health community organizes around a post-2015 agenda, where does mHealth fit into program and funding priorities? Find out what three perspectives access.mobile President and CEO Kaakpema Yelpaala thinks implementers, technology solution innovators and social investors should consider when thinking about mHealth.

For-profit health care: Eliminate, tolerate or stimulate?

Policy choices range from eliminating the involvement of the private sector in health care to stimulating it as a contributor to universal coverage. The ideal solution is to embrace and stimulate it in two key ways, international development consultant Martin Finnegan shares in this guest commentary.

Beyond Band-Aids: Social well-being as a strategy for health, social development gains

Interventions that target specific rights problems while ignoring the context that incubates them is not a new concern. Dr. Mark Edberg explains the Center for Social Well-Being and Development's social-ecological approach to achieve health, social development and related human rights goals.

How one social enterprise is packaging quality

Innovation doesn’t need to be costly, and sometimes simple, well-implemented ideas are the best suited to low-income settings. Find out how a Kenyan nonprofit managed to substantially improve health care quality standards to the maternal clinics they operate.

Generate breakthrough growth with 'jugaad' accountability

Creative, improvised solutions are allowing entrepreneurs and businesses to build markets, generate growth and solve intractable problems from health care to finance, according to the 'jugaad' approach, which argues for frugal and flexible innovation. A guest commentary from Accountability Labs' Blair Glencorse.

Must Reads

Multimedia

I Am Innovation

Chronic and infectious diseases still threaten communities and highlight unmet challenges. It will be up to innovation — and those who support it — to continue to make significant strides in health care and help societies grow and develop.

Case Study

Pharmaceutical R&D Projects to Develop New Cures for Patients with Neglected Conditions

Disease can disproportionately affect people in low- and middle-income countries. This report from the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations looks at how research and development projects can confront such diseases.

Multimedia

Eddie: Empowering inmate volunteers and building a community

Eddie, a Red Cross volunteer inmate, has helped create an inclusive, empowered community within his prison. He is just one of 326 special-status volunteer inmates within prisons throughout Ireland, as part of a community-based health and first aid program.

Article

Lantana in Tanzania

"A Concern Worldwide team has found that homes with a boundary of Lantana camara, a plant and natural mosquito repellant that grows in much of sub-Saharan Africa, have more than 50 percent fewer of the kinds of mosquitoes that carry malaria."

Multimedia

Maker Movement for MNCH

Concern has created hub of local makers, engineers and health practitioners who design low-cost, high quality and locally sourced equipment.Through this practical innovation, low resource areas can avoid costly and protracted procurement of equipment and medical resources.

Article

A century of health innovation

One hundred years ago, The Rockefeller Foundation decided to focus on eliminating disease, the "supreme ill of human life," writes Rockefeller Foundation President Judith Rodin. Today, the global health community has much to celebrate, and many accomplishments yet to achieve.

Multimedia

The ongoing fight against malaria

Huge strides have been made against malaria, but this disease still claims more than 600,000 lives every year — most of them young children in sub-Saharan Africa. For GlaxoSmithKline, the ongoing effort to end malaria deaths ranges from investing in training frontline health workers to developing new treatments and vaccines.

Article

Fistula survivors treated through M-Pesa mobile banking scheme in Tanzania

Using an innovative program - the M-Pesa mobile banking system - women are able to access fistula treatment in Tanzania.

Latest tweets #healthymeans

#healthymeans Tweets