Evidence for Action The ALIGN Consortiumhas just released a powerful new working paper: “Strengthening Health Innovation Introduction.” Learn why strategic health innovations often fail to reach those who need them most and what it takes to change that. With insights from Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa, the paper outlines four system-enhancing pillars that can transform how countries prioritize, finance, and introduce innovations. 📘 Read the full paper and join the conversation on building more effective, efficient, and equitable health systems. duke.is/6/s97d #HealthInnovation #GlobalHealth #ALIGNConsortium #PolicyMatters #InnovationIntroduction

Today, the ALIGN Consortium team in Kenya successfully convened its Operations Initiation Meeting for the project Advancing County-Led Innovation Introduction through Government Engagement and Evidence (ALIGN). The meeting brought together key representatives from the Ministry of Health, and various development and implementation partners to align on the project’s vision, strategies, and next steps in advancing health innovations across Kenya. Prof. @FredWere14 gave an overview of the #ALIGN project, outlining the objectives. He emphasized the importance of all-of-government collaboration, portfolio-based approach, whole of market engagement, and data-driven decision making in strengthening health innovations introductions. His remarks set the tone for the discussions, highlighting the need for leadership and meaningful engagement of all stakeholders to drive sustainable innovations introduction. The ALIGN project seeks to empower countries to lead in identifying, adapting, and scaling health innovations that are informed by local priorities and grounded in evidence. Through enhanced government engagement and strong partnerships, the initiative aims to ensure that innovations are sustainable, context-specific, and responsive to the needs of Kenyan communities. The meeting concluded with a shared vision to advance evidence-driven #innovations that lead to a thriving population and economic health.

Exciting News: Introducing The ALIGN Consortium What if we could cut the time it takes for life-saving health innovations to reach the people who need them most by half? Right now, it takes an average of 13.5 years for health technologies to achieve 20% uptake in low- and middle-income countries, more than twice as long as in high-income countries. These delays cost lives. The ALIGN Consortium (Advancing Country-Led Innovation Introduction through Government Engagement and EvideNce) is working to change that. Led by the Duke Global Health Innovation Center @DukeGhic , South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) @MRCza , Keprecon, and @EndaSante , we're partnering with governments in Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa to strengthen the policy, financing, and advocacy systems that determine which health innovations are prioritized and how they're introduced. Our goal is to create more accountable, resilient health systems that deliver better health outcomes faster for all, and to generate insights, tools, and resources that can be used by stakeholders around the world. Ready to learn more? Read our full announcement and foundational working paper: duke.is/m/fd32 #HealthEquity #InnovationIntroduction #ALIGNConsortium

Earlier today, we held a productive meeting with @gatesfoundation and the @DukeGhic team under the ALIGN Consortium Project to chart the way forward for our partnership. The session provided an opportunity to reflect on the milestones achieved, assess lessons learned, and define strategies for the next phase of implementation. We shared insights on strengthening health systems, fostering innovation, and improving coordination to enhance the project’s overall impact. This project aims to drive sustainable, innovative solutions that improve lives and promote stronger health outcomes.

Today, we held the ALIGN Consortium Project Inception Meeting on accelerating the policy, financing, and advocacy enabling environment for efficient and effective introduction of health innovations in Kenya. This collaboration between the @MOH_Kenya, Duke Global Health Innovation Center, and Keprecon brought together key partners to reflect on how we can shape a stronger, more sustainable health innovations ecosystem. Prof. @AmbroseAgweyu guided participants through the project overview, outlining its vision, objectives, and expected impact. He emphasized the importance of building on Kenya’s progress in creating a framework that fosters stronger coordination, financing and adoption of innovations. From Duke Global Health Innovation Center @DukeGhic , Dr. Khrishna shared insights on the need to think differently about health innovations by focusing on scalability, efficiency, and evidence-driven optimization. He stressed the value of creating models that are not only effective but also sustainable, with Kenya serving as a learning hub for the region and beyond. Dr. @sammulyanga reflected on the critical role of data and the need for better structures to unlock its potential for decision-making and sustainable financing. He highlighted the importance of aligning health systems in a way that accelerates progress while ensuring long-term value. Representing the @KenyaGovernors, Ms. Khatra Ali reaffirmed the central role of counties in driving change, emphasizing the need for government ownership and alignment across different levels of leadership to achieve lasting results. The open discussion that followed brought out rich perspectives on health reforms, the role of the Social Health Authority, and the challenge of ensuring data reliability for effective decision-making. Participants also reflected on how incentives and trust remain at the core of building a resilient health system that serves all. This meeting marked an important step in building a collaborative framework that not only advances health innovation in Kenya but also creates lessons that can be shared regionally and globally.