Inventive: 102 Bold New Global Health Ideas Win Grand Challenges Canada Funding

59 creative, out-of-box health innovations devised in 13 low- and middle-income countries, plus 43 from Canada, share $10.9 million in seed grants and a single goal: reduce debilitating disease, save lives in developing countries

TORONTO, April 29, 2013 /CNW/ - Grand Challenges Canada, which is funded by the Government of Canada, today announced 102 new grants of $100,000 each for bold new global health ideas.  Of these, 59 grants went to innovators in 13 low- and middle-income nations worldwide to pursue bold new imaginative ideas to tackle health problems in resource-poor countries.

Grants of $100,000 each were also announced for 43 Canadian-originated projects to be implemented in a total of 49 countries throughout the developing world.

The full global portfolio of 102 creative, out-of-the-box ideas, selected by independent peer review from 436 applications, include:

• A cheap instant test strip to diagnose deadly diseases à la litmus paper
• A vaccine for smokers against nicotine's addictive effect
• Teaching old drugs new tricks in the fight against HIV
• Saving mothers and children with affordable, needle-free anemia-screening
• Using mobile phones to monitor maternal and child health in rural Nepal
• A fast track to safer pesticides via super-computer
• Tapping local businesses in Tanzania: Malaria drugs on wheels
• Reading ultrasound images of rural patients via cyberspace

. . . and many others

The Stars in Global Health program seeks breakthrough and affordable innovations that could transform the way disease is treated in the developing world -- innovations that may benefit the health of developed world citizens as well.  A total of roughly CDN $10.9 million will support the global portfolio of projects, broken down by region and country as follows (and detailed here: http://www.grandchallenges.ca/stars-r4-grantees-en/):

• 40 projects based in seven African countries (14 in Kenya, 10 in Uganda, seven in Tanzania, three in Ethiopia, and two each in Ghana, Nigeria and Rwanda)
  
  
• 19 projects based in six countries in Asia (10 in India, four in Pakistan, two in Nepal, and one each in Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Vietnam)
  
  
• 43 projects based in 16 Canadian cities (12 in Toronto, six in Montreal, three in Saskatoon and Calgary, two in Vancouver, Ottawa, Waterloo, Sudbury, Hamilton, Victoria, and Edmonton, and one in Guelph, London, Kitchener, Winnipeg and Halifax)

The 43 Canadian-based projects will be implemented worldwide:

• 22 countries in Africa (Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe)
  
  
• 17 countries in Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea)
  
  
• 8 countries in South and Latin America (Brazil, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru)
  
  
• 2 countries in the Middle East (Egypt and Jordan).  Several projects will be implemented simultaneously in more than one country.

"Our government is focused on what matters most to Canadians -- jobs, growth and long-term prosperity," says Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird. "We are pleased to work with our like-minded partners around the world to support global innovation and entrepreneurship that help produce better, brighter futures for people around the world."

"Canada's commitment to bold ideas with big impact is captured in each of these more than 100 peer-reviewed projects," says Dr. Peter A. Singer, CEO of Grand Challenges Canada.  "By matching talent with opportunity, Grand Challenges Canada is contributing to saving and improving lives."

If their ideas prove effective, the innovators will be eligible for an additional Grand Challenges Canada scale-up funding of up to $1 million.

Today's grants will advance bold new ideas in remote diagnostics and monitoring, health protection, drug and vaccine development and accessibility, and many others.

For the full version of this News Release, a complete listing of projects by city and country, and more information on all grants, including short videos on each project, please visit http://www.grandchallenges.ca/stars-r4-grantees-en/.

SOURCE: Grand Challenges Canada

Contact: Terry Collins [phone]; [phone]; [email protected]