Communication and thought leadership highlights in 2023

Throughout 2023, our commitment to impactful partnerships has not only advanced global health goals but also earned global and regional recognition across various platforms. 

Our aim is to share our approach, achievements, resources and tools to inspire and enable other public-private partnerships to achieve global health goals. 

Strategic communication activities 

World Economic Forum (January 2023): 

Announced a collaboration with Gavi and their INFUSE platform in Davos, Switzerland, which aims to improve vaccination coverage in lower-income countries by matching investors with innovators and entrepreneurs. 

African Social Marketing Conference (April 2023): 

Shared insights into leveraging digital and faith-based influencers in social marketing campaigns and led sessions on innovative marketing strategies tailored to public health interventions. 

South African AIDS Conference 2023 (June 2023): 

Actively engaged in seven events, including satellite sessions, presentations, and posters, at the SA AIDS Conference in Durban. 

Global #ScalingUp Community of Practice Annual Workshop (August 2023): 

Shared innovative scaling approaches on a webinar, emphasizing global and last-mile delivery capacities, financing, and partnerships. 

Presentation to USAID Deputy Administrator (September 2023): 

Presented our health system strengthening work in South Africa to

USAID Deputy Administrator Paloma Adams Allen in Cape Town, emphasizing innovation and cost-effectiveness. 

Yale University’s Digital Media for Health Outcome Webinar (September 2023): 

Delved into the application of private sector marketing principles to public health, drawing on examples from Project Last Mile’s initiatives in South Africa during a webinar for Yale University. 

Global Health Supply Chain Conference (November 2023): 

Presented in four sessions covering various healthcare delivery initiatives in South Africa, Mozambique, and Sierra Leone. 

South African Primary Healthcare Conference (November 2023): 

Reported results and learnings from a youth pilot program aimed at engaging young people in healthcare uptake in underserved areas. 

Journal of Health Communications (December 2023): 

Published a peer-reviewed article presenting findings from a study conducted by Project Last Mile and Ipsos, revealing the significant influence of factors such as easy access, time off work, reservations, and transportation on COVID-19 vaccine uptake among segments of the unvaccinated population in South Africa. 

Media coverage and recognition 

Strategic press release collaboration: 

Malawi (May 2023): We partnered with USAID and The Coca-Cola Company to craft a press release about our COVID-19 demand creation work in Malawi, resulting in significant media coverage, including an interview on a national breakfast show. 

Mozambique (December 2023): We collaborated with Coca-Cola Beverages Africa to share progress in our work in Mozambique through a press release, garnering visibility in five national newspapers. 

Media recognition as a public-private partnership: 

Project Last Mile was acknowledged as an exemplary public-private partnership model by Forbes, Forbes Africa, and the Yale School of Management. These articles spotlighted Project Last Mile’s pivotal role in strengthening public health systems across Africa, fostering innovation and scalability, and facilitating cross-sector knowledge exchange. 

Kelly Barner further underscored Project Last Mile’s impact on supporting public health supply chains in Africa through a feature on the podcast “Art of Supply,” exemplifying our commitment to effective partnership-driven solutions. 

Awards: 

Received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Western Cape Government Health and Wellness for contributions to achieving over 5 million COVID-19 vaccinations. 

The creative campaign “FAZES BEM,” developed by Create Mozambique for Project Last Mile, won prestigious awards in Lisbon, Portugal. 

Nahana Communications Group was selected as a finalist for the Marketing Achievement Awards for the purpose-led COVID-19 vaccination campaign developed for Project Last Mile.