Novartis Foundation symposium showcases sustainable healthcare interventions

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• Event illustrates how strong partnerships and innovative service delivery models can result in improved patient outcomes in low- and middle-income countries
   

Selected interventions demonstrate success in moving past the pilot phase towards validation and scale, including a telemedicine project that aims to improve healthcare access in rural areas of Ghana 
 

The Novartis Foundation strategic approach to philanthropy includes partnerships, innovation and measurement to achieve more sustainable improvements in healthcare

The digital press release with multimedia content can be accessed here:

 

Basel, November 21, 2014 - Today, the Novartis Foundation, formerly named the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development, convenes its annual symposium. This year's topic - "Sustainable healthcare interventions: from blueprint to lasting impact" - brings together philanthropists, local partners and innovators to explore the journey from idea generation and pilot projects to the realization of scalable and sustainable healthcare systems that improve outcomes for patients in low- and middle-income countries.  

"We are at a tipping point in global health where we see a critical lack of investment in healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries, while at the same time the rapid expansion of connectivity and use of mobile health technologies in these same geographies allows for significant expansion of patient reach through innovation," said Ann Aerts, Head of the Novartis Foundation and moderator of the symposium. "Today we will see a glimpse of how strong partnerships and innovative service delivery models are pushing the situation in the direction of stronger, sustainable health services that enhance access to quality care."

The event kicks off with examples that illustrate the importance of measurement, policy, innovation and local partnerships to set the stage for scalable and sustainable healthcare solutions.

• Zia Khan, Rockefeller Foundation, discusses how strategic philanthropy can drive impact and scale.
   
• Hassan Mshinda, Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology, reviews the inclusion of science, technology and public-private partnerships for innovation in Tanzania.
   
• Krishna Udayakumar, International Partnership for Innovative Healthcare Delivery, presents improvement to quality affordable healthcare through innovation.

"While important, ideas and data alone won't solve our most difficult healthcare problems. To ensure lasting impact, we need to bundle different kinds of innovations into solutions that government, the private sector, and citizens can help scale up - then get down to the important work implementing with, and listening to, the local communities we set out to serve in the first place," said Zia Khan, Vice President for Initiatives and Strategy at the Rockefeller Foundation.