On May 18th, 2017 Touch Foundation and Vodafone Foundation hosted a symposium in New York City. We invited expert panelists to share innovative evidence-based approaches to improve maternal and newborn health in sub-Saharan Africa and other low-resource settings and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The first panel focused on the impact of an emergency referral and transport system (EmTS) on maternal lives saved in Tanzania, which was launched in 2015 by Touch Foundation, Vodafone Foundation, ELMA Foundation, USAID/PEPFAR, and Pathfinder International as part of the Mobilizing Maternal Health (MMH) program. In the first year, the EmTS resulted in a 27% decline in maternal mortality rates and saved many more newborns in two districts. The panel stressed the importance of high-quality data collection to enable quick fixes and targeted resource allocation. The panel stressed, in relation to the EmTS, the importance of critically analyzing the data in order to achieve buy-in from all partners including the Government of Tanzania and to scale in the future. In addition to data, the program’s tangible impact on Tanzanians has bolstered government and community trust.

The second panel, Innovative Approaches to Barriers to Care, featured panelists examining a range of innovative approaches to remove barriers to quality health care for women and newborns. Mutually beneficial partnerships, a systems approach to integrating devices and interventions, and locally-led innovations were three key approaches discussed. The panelists, leaders of international NGOs and medical device companies, emphasized that productive partnerships depend on a generous understanding of each other’s relative strengths and interests. They also recognized that strong health systems and consistent product innovation can promote self-sufficiency. Lastly, they highlighted that there is an opportunity to support local innovation through North-South partnership, resource allocation, and an environment that enables risk-taking.

For further reading on this topic, please see our Mobilizing Maternal Health Impact Report. To read the full Symposium Report Out, click here. Thank you to all those who were able to attend and a special thank you to our moderator, Lord Michael Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE, Global Head of Citizenship for KPMG, and to our panelists: James BonTempo, Chief Strategy Officer, D-tree International; Dr. Siobhan Crowley, Director of Health, ELMA Philanthropies; Dr. Ntuli Kapologwe, Director of Health, Social Welfare & Nutrition Services, Tanzania’s President’s Office of Regional Administration and Local Government; Massimiliano Pezzoli, Country Director, Touch Foundation; Lee Wells, Director, Vodafone Foundation Ventures & Head of Programmes, Vodafone Foundation; Robert Miros, Chief Executive Officer, 3rd Stone Design; Lois Quam, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pathfinder International; Stephen Rudy, Chief Executive Officer, Gradian Health Systems; Andrew Storey, Director, Maternal and Newborn Health, Clinton Health Access Initiative