When singer, songwriter, and actress Mandy Moore calls global health “pretty cool,” you know the topic is no longer the sole province of policy wonks and science geeks.
Pretty cool! @marshallpsi @devex @PSIimpact @PATHtweets @Merck #BestBuys4GH trended nationally. People are interested in global health.
— Mandy Moore (@TheMandyMoore) March 21, 2014
Moore’s Tweet came during Best Buys in Global Health, a set of panel discussions we organized last week along with our partners PSI and Devex. We took as our starting point a survey of a thousand experts on future trends in global health, but we quickly discovered much broader interest in the topic. Our Twitter hashtag #bestbuys4GH, for example, trended nationally in the United States—thanks to Mandy and hundreds of you.
You can watch the entire event here:
What constitutes a best buy in global health? Our panelists discuss.
What did we learn?
It’s exciting to see this growing interest in global health and equity—we might even call our field hot right now. One thing that’s cooled, however, is growth of traditional donor budgets dedicated to health innovation. That’s why, our panelists agreed, it’s more important than ever to ensure our ideas to improve health not only work, but also are affordable and accessible for the people who will use them.
With that in mind, here are seven lessons we learned last week about what makes a sound investment in global health:
1. Best buys have three traits in common. Best buys in global health are efficient. They can be delivered in rugged settings. And they’re affordable for people in the regions where they’ll be used.
To weigh #BestBuys4GH, consider efficacy, deliverability, and affordability. There’s not a simple answer. – Amie Batson, @PATHtweets
— defeatDD from PATH (@defeatDD) March 19, 2014
2. Public health impact comes in many guises. For example, PATH has helped develop hundreds of technologies that include tangible products like vaccines and drugs as well as innovative improvements to systems, such as delivery methods and data tracking.
How to maximize impact of #globalhealth investment #BestBuys4GH pic.twitter.com/29K1cLg0d2
— Devex (@devex) March 20, 2014
3. Strengthening health systems and building capacity in the countries where work will be done are especially valuable buys. Impact often comes from investing in local people and systems. This not only develops the ability of local people to manage health care in their communities, it also helps increase understanding of and demand for the next innovation.
PATH establishes Global Innovation Hubs to link partners to design, develop & introduce lifesaving innovations. http://t.co/nPenEyPee5 — Gary L Darmstadt (@gdarmsta) March 19, 2014
4. Partnerships, particularly with the private sector, are crucial to success. In many parts of the world, people receive care from both the public and private sector—sometimes mainly from the private sector. It’s crucial to include all sectors when we discuss strengthening health systems.
Partnerships drive impact for global health: a #BestBuys4GH opinion piece by @karlhofmannPSI, @raj_devex and me http://t.co/SJ3LuwyXrT — Steve Davis (@SteveDavisPATH) March 20, 2014
5. We need better diagnostic tools now. Local health workers need more and better tools to quickly and accurately diagnose diseases and conditions, the first step to successful treatment and eventual prevention.
Breakthrough innovations on display! More about them in latest Impact Magazine http://t.co/jWtLyomJ3p #BestBuys4GH pic.twitter.com/bIdeghb8Fe — PATH Advocacy (@PATHadvocacy) March 19, 2014
6. Smart and simple is the key. Innovations, like the Sayana® Press injectable contraceptive, that are simple and easy to use don’t always require highly trained personnel, making them more accessible.
What are ‘best buys’ in #globahealth? @PATHtweets gives JE vaccine & immunization data as examples http://t.co/47xNXrAsRh #BestBuys4GH — Seth Berkley (@GAVISeth) March 19, 2014
7. The platform approach works. The platform approach focuses on return and value of an investment rather than micromanagement of process. Using the platform approach instead of investing in individual projects will have a greater public health impact.
RT @devex: How much emphasis should organizations place on overheads? #BestBuys4GH pic.twitter.com/WVdOi4foqx — PATH Advocacy (@PATHadvocacy) March 19, 2014
The conversation is far from over and you can be a part of it. Tweet what you think to @PATHtweets with the hashtag #BestBuys4GH.