Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation Commits $9.9 Million to mHealth Alliance

The mHealth Alliance has announced a three-year, $9.9 million commitment from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation in support of the innovative use of mobile technologies to improve the health of women and children.

The funding will enable mHealth Alliance to continue administering the Innovation Working Group's catalytic grant competitions for maternal, newborn, and child mobile health programs, which support the UN Secretary General's Every Woman Every Child global strategy. During the grant period, the alliance, which is hosted by the United Nations Foundation, will sponsor competitions and award grants to organizations with the capacity to scale-up evidence-based interventions that improve health outcomes for pregnant women, newborns, and children. Grant recipients also will receive technical support from the alliance, working in partnership with the World Health Organization.

Announced in conjunction with International Women's Day, the 2012 competition is accepting letters of interest from public-private partnership-driven projects that have the potential to improve women's and children's health and reduce their risk of dying in developing countries; have evidence of positive outcomes from a pilot or early-phase development; and are ready for scale-up. More information about the grant application process can be found on the alliance's Health Unbound Web site.

"Some of the poorest countries are making significant reductions in maternal and neonatal mortality. But there is still much work to be done," said Tore Godal, co-chair of the Innovation Working Group and special advisor for global health to the prime minister of Norway. "With two out of three mobile users living in developing countries, these grants are critical to global health and development — important parts of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, particularly those related to women. Mobile phones make participation possible for women to access the health care they need, including family planning, birth, child care, and survival."

“Norway Commits $9.9 Million to Maternal and Newborn Health.” mHealth Alliance Press Release 3/05/12.

Primary Subject: Health
Secondary Subject(s): Women, International Affairs/Development, Science/Technology

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