PATH's Amie Batson on partnering for innovation

Working in partnership is key to having impact, said Amie Batson, the chief strategy officer for PATH, an international NGO focused on health, in an interview with Devex on the sidelines of the Clinton Global Initiative.

She gave the example of oral rehydration salts, a simple treatment for diarrheal disease.

“That’s been around for 30 years, but the key has been: How do you get it out to the community, to the mothers and fathers who need it?” said Batson.

The answer, she said, was retail chains that reach consumers all over the world. An NGO called Cola Life, created Kit Yamoyo, a specially shaped plastic container of rehydration salts and zinc that can fit inside a crate of soft drinks. Through Coca-Cola’s supply chain, the ORS treatment now reaches families in need.

“It’s about building on distribution networks, so we’re not just delivering a sugar soda, we’re delivering a life-saving intervention.”

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