Dr. Patricia Odero, Regional Director-Africa at DGHI and IiH speaks at the Sankalp Africa Summit
Dr. Patricia Odero, Regional Director-Africa at the Duke Global Health Innovation Center and Innovations in Healthcare, will speak at the Sankalp Africa Summit 2020 this week. The summit, which will be held Feb. 27-28, provides an opportunity for stakeholders to reflect on the progress made towards Sustainable Development Goals in Africa. As progress has been slow, participants will discuss how innovation and entrepreneurship can accelerate progress towards the SDGs in the next decade. Kenya, where the summit will be held, was one of 193 countries that agreed to end poverty, hunger and inequality by 2030.
Odero will participate in a session titled “Diagnosing Healthcare: Driving Better Health Outcomes” by sharing her experiences with scaling innovations in an effort to provide high-quality low-cost healthcare solutions. The discussion will focus on learnings from other developing countries that can be customized for the African context.
For countries such as Kenya to achieve Universal Health Coverage within the next 10 years, summit organizers say there is a need to invest in approaches that provide systemic solutions to key issues such as the need for quality data to aid decision making, to align investments in social sectors to improve population wellbeing, and to develop strategic partnerships. In addition, the continent needs much more capital to succeed (philanthropic, blended finance, and impact bonds), and commitments from a host of developmental players (including policy makers, international and local corporations, non-profits and foundations). Innovations in Healthcare is excited to be part of this crucial conversation. We look forward to contributing lessons from our work on scaling innovation to transform health systems.