GSK and Save the Children have launched their fourth annual $1 million Healthcare Innovation Award, which rewards innovations in healthcare that help to reduce child deaths in developing countries and have the potential to reach even more children.

Organisations from across developing countries can enter to win the award with details of the innovative healthcare approaches that they have implemented. To be eligible, these innovations must:

• have resulted in tangible improvements to under-five child survival
• be sustainable, and
• have the scope to be scaled-up and replicated.

The Award is part of GSK and Save the Children’s five-year strategic partnership. Launched in 2013, this is designed to combine the two organisations’ expertise and skills with the aim of helping to save one million children’s lives.

So far awards have been made to more than a dozen inventive approaches, from a paperless immunisation records system to an affordable diarrhoea treatment kit.

This year’s Award, as well as recognising approaches that have helped reduce child deaths, will give special attention to innovations that focus on the hardest-to-reach children.

Eligible organisations

Nominations must:

• Be from a country classified as ‘low’, ‘lower-middle’, or ‘upper-middle’ income by the World Bank. Countries classified as ‘high income’ by the World Bank or that are in the European Union are not eligible.
• Describe an innovative approach or process applied to under-five child survival that can demonstrate impact within an eligible country.

Lisa Bonadonna, head of the GSK and Save the Children partnership, commented:

“When it comes to reaching the poorest children with quality healthcare, no single organisation has all the answers. So we’re always searching for new and different ideas, wherever they might be. Our Award recognises that some of the best solutions to development challenges come from people living with them. Tough conditions can stimulate innovation, generating solutions that are relevant and adaptable. If these bright ideas can be shared across countries and continents, the impact could be profound.”

Entries to the Healthcare Innovation Award closes on 7 September 2016 at 11:59pm (GMT). Winners are expected to be announced in December.

A judging panel, made up of experts from the fields of public health, science and academia, will award all or part of the funds to one or more of the best healthcare innovations.

Did you know South Africa won an Innovation Award? Watch this video to learn how: