What would the world look like if there was a clear path for game-changing innovation to transform global health?
And what if that path was faster, more efficient, more reliable – more local – than ever before?
Innovation is our best bet to truly bend the curve in global health—to save and improve more lives, eliminate more diseases, and deliver on the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Innovation in global health is also far from easy. It is especially challenging to enable local innovators to not only design, but deliver, promising new health solutions.
That’s why, earlier this year, I visited five cities in India to learn about the local innovation ecosystem. I wanted to know what was working and what wasn’t. I toured academic labs and technology accelerators, and met with innovators and startups developing health technology.
I was immediately encouraged by what I saw. Over the past decade, India’s medical technology industry has undergone massive growth thanks to a surge of government funding for innovation. There is an array of incubators and accelerators supporting health technology. And the talent of Indian entrepreneurs and engineers is impressive—not only for their technical skill, but for the passion they bring to improving health.
Then I noticed something else. While the range of innovation – devices, diagnostics, digital health, and cloud-connected platforms – were well-designed, they weren’t reaching the patients, providers, and health systems that needed them. Many product developers commented that even after successfully developing a prototype, they were unable to introduce it into the market. Not because the products didn’t function or solve a problem, but because there were obstacles along the way from idea to impact.
PATH is focused on solving this challenge: supporting global health innovators and product developers through the end-to-end journey of innovation so that more great ideas can improve more lives.
