Saving Lives at Birth: Round IIII - Request for Applications

The Government of Norway, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, and the U.K. Government (Department for International Development) invite global problem solvers to answer their fourth call for innovative prevention and treatment approaches to dramatically reduce maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths in poor, hard-to-reach communities around the time of childbirth.

The partnership seek innovative ideas that can leapfrog conventional approaches in three main domains:

1. technology
2. service delivery
3. “demand side” innovation that empowers pregnant women and their families to practice healthy behaviors and be aware of and access health care during pregnancy, childbirth and the early postnatal period, especially the first two days after birth.

The partnership is especially looking for interventions that:

• Increase access to primary health care for women and newborns by at least 50%;
• Substantially improve the quality of care as measured by health outcomes; and
• Lead to improved and sustained healthy behavior.

Successful innovators will be funded and managed independently by one of two funding mechanisms – pooled resources from USAID, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Government of Norway, or Grand Challenges Canada – and supported collectively as a community of innovators by all five partners.

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