Partnerships Transforming Health in Africa

On 6-7 November 2017 in Dakar, Senegal, policy makers, business leaders, and development partners gathered at the annual Africa Health Business Symposium (AHBS) to discuss the business of health in Africa.

EWEC at the Africa Health Business Symposium

Every Woman Every Child was represented as a strategic partner, speaker, and exhibitor, as participants discussed this year’s theme “Transforming Public-Private Partnerships for Health in Africa.”

EWEC hosted an in-plenary panel session on 6 November, entitled “Innovation and Partnerships for maternal and child health.” The panel featured:

• Dr. Ian Clarke, Director of the East Africa Healthcare Federation, as moderator
• Minister Jane Aceng, Minister of Health of Uganda
• Dr. Data Santorino, Country Manager Uganda for CAMTech and Principal Investigator for the Augmented Infant Resuscitator
• Dr. Peter Kamunyo, CEO Medsource Group Kenya
• Ms. Natalie Africa, EWEC Senior Director for Private Sector Engagement at the United Nations Foundation

In addition to the panel, EWEC featured four innovations from the EWEC Innovation Marketplace:

1. SubQ Assist
   • SubQ Assist makes the process of administering long-acting contraceptive implants simple, easy and safe in rural, underprivileged areas.
2. First Steps (Rwanda)
   • First Steps is a holistic program designed to increase the confidence and understanding of parents on ways to support their young children’s early childhood development skills.
3. Hewa Tele (Kenya)
   • Hewa Tele is a systematic approach to ensure a reliable supply of oxygen at affordable rates to prevent deaths due to lack of air.
4. Augmented Infant Resuscitator (AIR, Uganda)
   • Augmented Infant Resuscitation (AIR) is a low-cost add-on device that gives simple, intuitive feedback on resuscitation quality that helps birth attendants build the skills, confidence, and delivery of effective ventilation.

Both the panel and innovator exhibits demonstrated the significance of partnerships and innovation in driving health outcomes in the African context.