GlaxoSmithKline and Save the Children launch 2016 Healthcare Innovation Award

GlaxoSmithKline and Save the Children have announced the launch of the 2016 Healthcare Innovation Award, marking the fourth edition of the yearly scheme.

The $1 million (775,700 pounds) initiative is designed to reward innovations in healthcare that can help to reduce child deaths in developing countries and have the potential to reach a wide population of youngsters worldwide.

Organisations in developing nations are encouraged to nominate innovative local healthcare approaches that have resulted in tangible improvements to survival rates among under-fives, as well as offering strong sustainability and the potential to be scaled up.

A judging panel of experts from the fields of public health, science and academia will decide which initiatives will be awarded funding. Entries are being accepted until September 2016.

Lisa Bonadonna, head of the GlaxoSmithKline and Save the Children partnership, said: “Tough conditions can stimulate innovation, generating solutions that are relevant and adaptable. If these bright ideas can be shared across countries and continents, the impact could be profound."

More than a dozen innovations have been recognised through the scheme since its launch in 2013, including a paperless immunisation records system and an affordable diarrhoea treatment kit.