THINKMD will be hosting a series of opportunities to provide an accessible platform for global health dialogue, in the from of Virtual Open MIC events. No long presentations, no text-heavy slides; this is short, sharp and to the point with expertise and thought leadership at the forefront. This is a forum for all voices on important and challenging global health topics, from the individual beneficiaries and frontline health workers to the content experts and leaders. THINKMD’s role? Simply to help facilitate dialogue.
Upcoming: 14 April 2022
Improving Maternal & Newborn Health through midwives and birthing assistants.
Millions of women and newborns die each year due to causes related to pregnancy and childbirth that could be prevented by giving birth with qualified help from a skilled birth attendant.
We want to hear from midwives, birth attendants and those working on the frontlines of maternal, newborn and child health. What are the barriers to accessing healthcare as a pregnant or new mother and how are these being overcome? What are the challenges you face and how better could you be supported? What tools or interventions are working?
Join us on 14 April at 09h00 ET/15h00 CAT as we hear from the frontlines of maternal and child healthcare.
What do Community Health Workers really want?
Community Health Workers play a significant role on the frontline healthcare. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and in health settings across the globe, we want to hear from those on the frontline: What does it mean to be a Community Health Worker?
In the second of a series of opportunities to provide an accessible platform for global health dialogue, THINKMD will be hosting a Virtual Open Mic on 2 December 2021, giving those on the frontline of healthcare a chance to share their experiences and insights. The Open Mic will be emceed by Dr. Madeleine Ballard, CEO of the Community Health Impact Coalition.
Alternative pathways to care
The first Global Health Open MIC took place on 15 September 2021, giving a range of speakers a chance to share their thoughts on alternative pathways to care and how we can make sure they meet the same standards as conventional healthcare pathways in terms of accuracy and quality.
Speakers included Natasha Sunderji, Global Health Lead for Accenture Development Partnerships; Amaan Khalfan, CEO of Goodlife Pharmacy: Dr. Rashed Shah, Department of Global Health, Save the Children; Jeanne Teshler, CEO of Teshler Accelerator Group; Dr. Nirmal Ravi, Director for Medical and Scientific Affairs at eHealth Africa and Chief Innovation Officer at EHA Clinics; Bobby Jefferson, Chief Technology Officer at DAI Global Health and Joanna Bascom, Monitoring & Evaluation Officer at Healthy Learners. Missed it? Not to worry, you can access the recording below, or receive the report on key points covered.
Natasha Sunderji is the Global Health Lead for Accenture Development Partnerships. She has 15+ years of experience advising multinational companies, NGOs, donors, and multilateral agencies on growth strategy, business model design, digital health, and cross sector partnerships. She has worked with leading digital health implementers to design patient-centric solutions, supported health impact investors to develop commercialisation strategies for their portfolio grantees, and advised policy makers on the relations and investments needed to create robust digital health ecosystems.
Amaan Khalfan is Goodlife Pharmacy’s Chief Executive Officer. He is responsible for the growth and operations of East Africa’s largest pharmacy chain, in addition to working with Leapfrog Investments, an Impact Investor, to develop further pipeline of projects in east Africa. Goodlife Pharmacy currently has over 75 locations in East Africa and is on a growth plan to become the largest private health hub in the region. Through his extensive executive positions, he has managed large healthcare projects, including being the Chief Operations Officer at Aga Khan University Hospital’s Outreach division, one of the largest network of outpatient medical centers in East Africa.
Dr. Rashed Shah has been working for Save the Children in its Washington DC office as Child Health Advisor, in the Department of Global Health since 2013. He has more than 25 years of experience working in community-based maternal, newborn and child health programming and implementation and has offered technical support to child health programs in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Pakistan, and Uganda. Dr. Rashed led a series of cluster randomized community-based research projects plus conducted several research projects on newborn and child health issues.
Jeanne Teshler is currently CEO of Teshler Accelerator Group, a strategic firm that helps build and scale business in healthcare, technology, and consumer product domains. She recently served as CEO of Wellsmith, Inc., digital health platform designed to help consumers better manage their chronic conditions away from health care settings. Prior to Wellsmith, she was Chief Operating Officer of SixDI, Inc., a strategic consulting firm she co-founded with her husband, Yuri, and has over 25 years of experience leading innovation and production teams.
Dr. Nirmal Ravi is the director for medical and scientific affairs at eHealth Africa and Chief Innovation Officer at EHA Clinics. Trained as a primary care physician and biomedical engineer, he currently leads a portfolio that includes research, diagnostic laboratories and digital health. eHealth Africa designs and implements data-driven solutions that respond to local needs and provides underserved communities with tools to lead healthier lives. EHA Clinics is a world-class comprehensive healthcare provider in Nigeria offering primary care, advanced diagnostic tests, community health, pharmacy and digital health services to its patient population.
Joanna Bascom works as the Data Management and Analytics Lead at Healthy Learners, a public health NGO based in Lusaka, Zambia working with the Ministries of Health and Education to make health care accessible for learners at school. She first joined the organization as a Princeton in Africa fellow in 2019 and has continued in the Monitoring & Evaluation department developing systems to utilize data and improve accessibility and insights for the organization and partners. Joanna previously worked as a Research Specialist at the Center for Social Research at Calvin University where she collaborated with nonprofit, academic, and public-sector organizations on research projects involving data analytics, GIS mapping, community listening sessions, and database management.
HAVE AN IDEA FOR A FUTURE OPEN MIC SESSION, OR WANT TO EMCEE ONE? EMAIL THINKMD@THINKMD.ORG
Alternatively, you can register to be part of the next Open MIC audience.