Innovating for climate-resilient health systems
In 2023, Project Last Mile announced a partnership with Gavi Innovation for Uptake, Scale and Equity in Immunization (INFUSE) to improve vaccine delivery systems through testing and scaling innovations from its cohort of enterprises.
Since its inception, INFUSE has cultivated a community of global health innovators, including 21 INFUSE Pacesetters dedicated to overcoming vaccine delivery challenges. These pioneers have contributed to great successes in global health.
The partnership between Project Last Mile and Gavi INFUSE has continued into 2024, with four global health innovators chosen in October from a pool of over 100 applicants as the 2024 Gavi INFUSE Pacesetters. The winners – Atlas AI from the USA, Causal Foundry from Spain, Figorr from Nigeria, and Signalytic from Uganda – were selected from a shortlist of 10 finalists by a panel of global health, technology, and private sector experts, including Project Last Mile’s Managing Director, Alexandra Scott, after a two-day workshop funded by the Rockefeller Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya.
“Climate change is profoundly affecting global health, highlighting the need to utilize innovative technologies that can respond quickly and sustainably,” comments Scott. “By supporting INFUSE Pacesetters, Project Last Mile seeks to align cutting-edge solutions with the unique challenges of vaccine distribution in Africa. Our goal is to strengthen health systems so they can remain resilient amidst the impacts of a changing climate.”
Partnership objectives
The goal of this partnership is to increase the availability, demand, and access to life-saving immunizations in Africa. Initiated as part of Project Last Mile’s COVID-19 response portfolio and funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation, the collaboration aims to build resilient immunization systems to prevent and prepare for future pandemics.
Leveraging best practices from The Coca-Cola System, Project Last Mile offers tailored solutions to address specific challenges related to vaccine distribution, availability, and access across the continent, which includes providing technical assistance focused on cold chain equipment, route-to-market, and demand creation through strategic marketing.
Climate focus
The call for INFUSE 2024 applications was launched in March 2024, inviting applications that demonstrate innovative approaches to tackle challenges faced by Gavi implementing countries and their partners, focusing on climate mitigation and resilience. The criteria for participation included scalability and potential impact in vulnerable regions; cost-effectiveness with a sustainable financial model; evidence of, or potential for, success; adaptability for implementation in diverse environments, especially in lower-income countries; and the strength and experience of the team behind the solution.
Winners from the 2024 cohort will support Gavi with advanced technological solutions focused on building climate-resilient health systems. The 2024 Pacesetters that Project Last Mile will support from this selection are still being confirmed.
Augustin Flory, Managing Director, Innovative Partnerships & Development Finance, Gavi, notes that innovation plays a critical role in helping Gavi protect millions of people each year from preventable disease.
“As climate change impacts the trajectory of infectious diseases like malaria and increases the severity and frequency of outbreaks, it has become increasingly urgent to find new solutions to these challenges,” Flory says. “This year’s INFUSE Pacesetters each offer the potential to transform immunization delivery and at Gavi, we are committed to working with them to scale their activities and accelerate their impact.”
The climate crisis has significant implications for vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization programs. The benefit of INFUSE lies in its ability to create a bridge between technological innovation and practical, large-scale implementation to improve immunization coverage and equity across the globe. By connecting entrepreneurs and innovators with Gavi’s vast network of global health partners, INFUSE helps integrate these innovations into national immunization programs, particularly towards zero-dose and under-immunized children.
“With the support of The Coca-Cola Foundation, INFUSE and Project Last Mile are accelerating the scaling of immunization-related innovations,” says Adrian Ristow, Executive Director, Project Last Mile. We look forward to supporting their implementation.”
The 2024 Pacesetters
Through their innovative solutions, the selected 2024 Pacesetters will address several gaps in immunization efforts:
- Atlas AI (USA) has developed an advanced geospatial platform that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics to identify and geotarget in the last mile to find ‘zero-dose’ children and missed communities; and predict how shocks will affect them.
- Causal Foundry (Spain) engages health workers with adaptive tools such as personalized recommendations, an AI-based resource allocation system and tailored weather insights, enabling more precise and effective immunization activities to prevent climate-related outbreaks and issues of access.
- Figorr’s (Nigeria) solution offers end-to-end and real-time temperature tracking for vaccines and cold chain infrastructure – sharing recommendations and insurance products to improve cold chain efficiency. Sensors monitor temperatures continuously, transmitting data wirelessly to a central system, improving immunization activities by enabling timely intervention, optimizing distribution routes, facilitating proactive maintenance and supporting data-driven decision-making.
- Signalytic (Uganda) provides a solar-powered, high-speed digital experience for related software in any health center, making it possible to generate, store and share health data within and across remote health clinics.
2024 INFUSE shortlist finalists
- Atlas AI: The AI platform for geospatial information
- Causal Foundry: Using AI-boosted personalized clinical and behavioural interventions adapted to each individual
- Dronamics: World’s first cargo drone airline
- Drop Access: Women-led social enterprise offering solar-powered cold chain solutions
- Figorr: Live monitoring of vital parameters for healthcare products
- Medtronic LABS: Open source training platform for health workers
- Pendulum: AI-powered supply chain API for prediction with geolocalisation
- Signalytic: Providing electricity and internet connection to healthcare remote facilities
- SORA Technology: Innovative drone/AI-based solutions in the fields of climate & health
- StaTwig: Resolve complex supply chain challenges by leveraging the power of blockchain and IoT
Read about how the 2023 Gavi INFUSE Pacesetter Project Last Mile supported, Reach, in our annual report excerpt.
