SAN FRANCISCO — At Prescription for Progress, a Devex Bay Area event exploring the practical hurdles associated with bringing global health innovations to scale, we caught up with Mark Allen, MSD for Mothers’ director of strategic partnerships, on how digital innovation can improve the provision of quality health care.
“One of the most exciting innovations that I’m seeing is one of our investments in India called ‘Together for Her.’ It’s a platform where we’re trying to crowd in women’s voices around the quality of care that they’re receiving in maternity services,” Allen said.
MSD for Mothers’ hypothesis is that if women can be informed about what to expect from care, they’ll be in a better position to judge and evaluate the quality of care that they’re receiving.
Allen pinpointed that one of the reasons MSD for Mothers is focusing on digital innovation is its potential to transform and accelerate interventions around maternal health. “A lot of these digital platforms are providing a number of insights — whether it be around health-seeking behaviour, or on what’s actually happening in the facility around the quality of care that’s being delivered.”
According to Allen, this type of data can provide valuable insights needed to course correct interventions — allowing for the evaluation and auditing of the quality of care that is being provided — and for adjustments and better targeting of resources.
Devex, with financial support from our partner MSD for Mothers, is exploring how the private sector is driving innovations in global health. Visit the Focus on: Future of Health Partnerships page for more.
About the authors
Rebecca L. Root
Rebecca L. Root is a freelance reporter for Devex based in Bangkok. Previously senior associate & reporter, she produced news stories, video, and podcasts as well as partnership content. She has a background in finance, travel, and global development journalism and has written for a variety of publications while living and working in Bangkok, New York, London, and Barcelona.
Natalie Donback
Natalie Donback is a freelance journalist and editor based in Barcelona, where she covers climate change, global health, and the impact of technology on communities. Previously, she was an editor and reporter at Devex, covering aid and the humanitarian sector. She holds a bachelor’s degree in development studies from Lund University and a master’s in journalism from the University of Barcelona and Columbia Journalism School.
