GRAND CHALLENGES CANADA:
EMPOWERING INNOVATIONS FOR GLOBAL HEALTH
Abdallah S. Daar
Chief Science and Ethics Officer, GCC
Professor of Public Health Sciences and of
Surgery, University of Toronto
McMaster University
Sept. 25, 2013
Inequities in Global Health
Every second of every day, four women
around the world give birth. And every
minute, one of those women dies
In Sweden, the life-time risk of a woman
dying during pregnancy and childbirth is
1 in 17, 400; in Afghanistan, it is 1 in 8.
Inequities in Global Health
Death rates for children under 5 in high
income countries is 7 per 1000. In
Uganda it is 200 per 1000 among the
poor.
A girl in Lesotho is likely to live 42 years
less than another in Japan.
80-90% of blind/ visually impaired people
live in poor countries
Definition of Global Health
Health problems, issues, and concerns
that transcend national boundaries,
may be influenced by circumstances or
experiences in other countries, and are
best addressed by cooperative actions
and solutions
(Inst. of Medicine)
Our Definition of a Grand Challenge
“A specific critical barrier that, if
removed, would help solve an
important health problem in the
developing world with a high
likelihood of global impact through
widespread implementation”
Infectious Diseases
© Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Chronic Non-communicable Diseases Cause More Deaths Than
communicable diseases, maternal and perinatal conditions and
nutritional deficiencies combined
 Cardiovascular disease, mainly
heart disease, stroke
 Cancer
 Chronic respiratory diseases
 Diabetes
Presentation Title /
Mental disorders cause the greatest burden of
disease—75% of this burden is in low and middle
Burden of diseases worldwide:
income countries
Disability adjusted life years (DALYs), 2001
WHO, Investing in Mental Health, 2003.
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Each Study Led to a New
Initiative/Organization
1. Gates et al Grand Challenges in Global
Health initiative ($450 M +)
2. Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases
(members account for 80% of all
biomed/health research funding in the
world)
3. GC Global Mental Health Inititiative; GC
Canada Mental Health Program
The Grand Challenges Approach
Stimulates innovation with impact by identifying and tackling
critical barriers between where we are and where we want
to be.
• Attracts talent to a defined challenge
• Accelerates innovation by creating communities of
innovators
• Captures public imagination
• Can lead to enterprise creation & jobs
• Can help link public and private organizations and finance
• Provides governance platform for different countries to
solve together their common challenges
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Canadian Policy Innovation:
2008 Federal Budget Created Development
Innovation Fund, money from Foreign Aid
envelope  Grand Challenges Canada
…support the best minds in the
world as they search for
breakthroughs in global health …
Grand Challenges Canada
Bold Ideas. Big Impact. A Better World.
Focuses on global health
Funded by Government of Canada
Funds innovators from developing
countries and Canada
Encourages Integrated Innovation
Catalyzes impact at scale and
sustainability
Focuses on results:
Saving and improving lives
Joseph L. Rotman (pictured top left); Peter A. Singer and
the Honourable James Flaherty (pictured bottom right) at
the Launch of Grand Challenges Canada on May 3, 2010
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Integrated Innovation
Stars in Global Health
Canadian and Global Rising
Stars in Global Health
EACH OFFERED $100,OO0
• Subsequent grants of up
to $1 Million.
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Stars and projects
Low-cost cell phone test (oxymeter) to diagnose
pneumonia in the developing world
Dr. Aman Ullah is developing a filter made from chicken
feathers to eliminate the deadly carcinogen, arsenic,
from drinking water
Dr. Karim Damji is developing methodologies for preventing
and treating glaucoma, a major cause of blindness in
poor countries
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Dr. Karim S. Karim is working on a device for rapid TB detection through
digital imaging, a low-cost and effective diagnostic
Dr. Jan Andrysek is creating an inexpensive and effective
artificial knee joint for disabled people in the developing
world
Dr. Cedric Yansouni is working on a diagnostic that is cost
effective and non-invasive to determine whether a patient has
visceral leishmaniasis, a deadly disease
Dr. David Richard is working on a low-cost vaccine for malaria, a
disease that infects 216 million people a year and kills about
800,000 annually.
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Stars in Global Health
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Stars at McMaster
Leyla Soleymani
Handheld TB & MDR-TB tester
for use in poor resource settings
Ponnambalam
Ravi
Selvaganapathy
Jeffrey Pernica
Measuring the impact of novel
enteric diagnostics for diarrheal
disease
Simple, low-cost
detection of TB
through
miniaturization &
parallelization
Expanded Stars in Global
Health Program
• Has funded 320 different
innovations
• At over $52.6 M
• In 37 countries
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Those who have gone on to Phase 2
Funding
Smelly Socks
for malaria
Electronic Nose for TB
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GCC Financial Ecosystem
100% subsidy
$100k grant
50% subsidy
Up to $1M match
Grant or loan
0% subsidy
Social VC Fund
Shared Value
Government
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Grand Challenges Initiatives
PARTNERS
PROGRAMS
In 2012-13: Grand Challenges India, Grand Challenges Brazil, Grand Challenges Israel
Saving Lives at Birth
Opponents to Champions
(dRPC, Nigeria)
E-Vouchers for Transport
(Changamka, Kenya)
SOCIAL INNOVATION
BUSINESS INNOVATION
Odon Device
(WHO)
SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY
INNOVATION
Saving Brains
Early cognitive stimulation:
Dr. Peter Singer and Dr. Karlee Silver
visit a creche in a Rio de Janeiro
favela
March 2013
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Saving Brains
Effects of Vitamin A
supplementation
(International Centre for
Diarrhoeal Disease
Research, Bangladesh)
Kangaroo Mother Care
(Kangaroo Foundation, Colombia)
Early Childhood Cognitive Stimulation
and Successful Transition to Preschool
(Aga Khan University, Pakistan)
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Global Mental Health
Grand Challenges Canada
has invested $27 million
for this initiative.
To improve treatments
and expand access to care
in LMICs; and address
stigma
Nature. 2011 July 6;475(7354):27-30. doi: 10.1038/475027a.
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Global Mental Health
Zamni Lasante in Haiti
Friendship Bench in Zimbabwe
Biaber Project in Ethiopia
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Examples of reverse innovation in
healthcare
• Vscan portable ultrasound
• Narayana Hrudayalaya
Cardiac Hospital
• Aravind Eye Care System
Top Five Finalist
•
Beyond Words: A pictogram-based toolkit to improve wayfinding on hospital
campuses, and a simplified discharge summary designed with and for patients to
improve the comprehension of medication and care instructions
•
3nethra – Non-Mydriatic Eye Examination: a non-mydriatic eye prescreening for
primary care settings.
•
Farm Radio: Raise awareness of mental health issues and services in Nunavut by
applying the innovative use of radio, new information and communication.
•
Task Shifting for Rural First Nations Communities in Canada: The community
health worker (CHW) model to be tested in Sioux Lookout.
•
Health Connexus: Provide seniors with all of the resources necessary to live a
healthy, independent and fulfilling life in the comfort of their own homes
specifically related to social isolation and food security.
https://innovatexchange.ca/reverse/finalists
Our Team
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Thank you!
@AbdallahDaar
T 416.673.6568
info@grandchallenges.ca
Grand Challenges Canada
MaRS Centre, South Tower,
101 College Street, Suite 406
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1L7
grandchallenges.ca
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