PMNCH Knowledge summaries: #10 - Foster innovation
Note: Full text and all graphs, tables and references for each Knowledge Summary are available only on the PDF version.
Innovation is one of the keys to accelerating progress in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH). This includes finding new and creative ways to deliver services, apply new technologies, raise new money, and form new partnerships. All innovations, however, must pass through a robust process of testing and refinement before precious resources are used to scale up.
Science and technology continually yield new ideas for improving human welfare. Some prove successful when tested, while other less promising innovations may still feed back into the research pipeline, so advancing knowledge incrementally. Innovations are needed along the continuum of care to accelerate progress towards MDGs 4 and 5 and must be relevant to local health systems. Emerging creative solutions include those related to testing new models for service delivery, and those created through technology. Innovations in financing are referred to in Knowledge Summary. Here we highlight just a small selection of the many promising ideas currently at various stages of development.
Ultimately, the benefits of all innovations depend on their availability at scale. Barriers to successful implementation of any new device or service-delivery innovation, such as rickshaw ambulances to transport women in labor, vary across countries. Knowledge of which efforts work (or do not) in specific contexts and conditions comes from robust implementation research. Such lessons not only help to strengthen health systems and the drive towards universal access (see Knowledge Summary 8), but also to optimize the benefits of service delivery and technology innovations.
Please read the full text of the Knowledge Summary and download the pdf version with all tables and graphs on the MNCH Knowledge Portal.
