Technological And Social Innovation: A Unifying New Paradigm For Global Health

Abstract

This paper highlights the growing capacity for innovation in some developing countries. To maximize the potential of this phenomenon for global health, countries and donors need to link two disparate schools of thought: (1) a search for technological solutions exemplified by global public-private product development partnerships, and (2) a focus on systemic solutions exemplified by health policy and systems research. A strong capacity for both technological and social innovation in developing countries represents the only truly sustainable means of improving the effectiveness of health systems. Local publicprivate research and development partnerships, implementation research, and individual leadership are needed to achieve this goal. [Health Affairs 26, no. 4 (2007): 1052-1061 10.1377/hlthaff.26.4.1052 I n c o ll o q u i a l us e , t h e t e r m " i n n ovat i o n " is often seen as synonymous with "invention." To the global health community, "innovation" may carry baggage associated with patents and the high cost of medicines. However, the definition used by economists is far broader than invention and is highly relevant to considerations of access: It encompasses the entire process-from idea to implementation-for new products, services, processes, practices, and policies. 1 Improving access to essential products and services requires three forms of innovation: technological, to ensure availability of products that are more cost-effective than existing interventions; social, to ensure the distribution of essential goods and services; and adaptive, involving both providers and communities, to contextualize the adoption of goods and services to local settings.2 Technological solutions in health include new drugs, devices, diagnostics, and vaccines. Social and adaptive solutions include new ways to organize human resources, information, and decision making in health systems. In all cases, innovation involves both the solution and its implementation.Unfortunately, "technological utopians" and "systems utopians" seem to speak 1 0 5 2 J u l y /A u g u s t 2 0 0 7 C o m m e n t a r y

Geospatial analysis and decision support for health services planning in Uganda

“…As pointed out by Shrestha (2000), it is a challenge to provide health services acceptable when the population is unevenly distributed. Although Gardner et al (2007) do not explicitly highlight the importance of geospatial techniques, the focus on information technology indicates that all possible courses of action in health services planning, location inclusive, need to be explored. The geospatial analytical techniques are invaluable in analyzing and visualizing service gaps and needs and their introduction represent a crucial step towards allocation for service delivery and improvement of health care (Yates et al, 2006).…”

Territorial Governance and Social Innovation: The Cases of San Pedro Capula’s Artisanal Cheese and the Rice (Oryza Sativa) of Morelos, Mexico

“…Thus, we find authors who make contributions to the concept, such as Leadbeater [15], Mulgan et al [16], Mumford [17], Gardner, Acharya and Yach [18]. These authors highlighted social innovation while seeking for new solutions to current social needs, considering ideas for achieving social goals; this is based on the idea that people is able to identify their own problems and solve them.…”

Duncan Pedersen y el estudio integral de la Salud Mental Global

“…Los llamados "ensayos randomizados controlados" obtienen resultados que provienen de un grupo limitado de potenciales alternativas (21)(22)(23). Duncan Pedersen insiste: "La SMG tiende a enmarcarse en el lenguaje conceptual de la psiquiatría pero (ignora) modalidades locales de comprensión de problemas sociales y de salud mental que es necesario conocer, no solo porque ellas gobiernan búsqueda de ayuda y estilos de afronte, sino también porque pueden proveer estrategias novedosas de intervención" (7).…”