Aetna Foundation’s is giving $4.5 million in grants for Healthier World Innovation Challenge

If you want to serve for the betterment of humanity then Healthier World Innovation Challenge from Aetna Foundation providing you that opportunity now where they are giving $4.5 Million in grants. They are looking of developers from various fields like medical technology etc. who are willing to develop and tackle chronic health issues in vulnerable sections of society. When it comes to technology a study shows that 1 in 3 mobile users are using mobile technology to research health information and around 90% patients are interested in matinaing their healthcare by themselves using technology including accessing medical info on various concerned issues, refiling prescriptions and for booking doctor’s appointment online.

Under this challenge 6 organizations ( each ) will receive an amount upto $750,000 for three years consecutively and they will be fully assisted by Aetna Foundation.

Dr. Graham, President of the Aetna Foundation explained us in an interview what Aetna Foundation’s Healthier World Innovation Challenge is expecting from developers. Read the full interview below.

Anurag Kumar

Is the Aetna Foundation looking for innovation only in medical technology to improve health conditions for poor and the underserved or they are welcoming technological ideas from all fields?

Dr. Graham

We are eager to see the types of technologies that participants utilize for their innovations during the Healthier World Innovation Challenge. We are not solely looking for an innovation in medical technology, such as a medical device, but are welcoming technologies from other fields as well if they improve health outcomes.

There is no specific technology platform or tool that we would recommend, rather, we feel that the best tools are those that individuals will actually use. Each of the grantees for the Healthier World Innovation Challenge will be expected to have an understanding of the community they are working in, in order to have a sense of what tool that population is most likely to use.

Anurag Kumar

Seeing that there are so many severe health and medical issues around the world like deadly Ebola, where do you think technology lacks for providing a better solution of such deadly diseases?

Dr. Graham

A challenge that we face is that there is no one technological tool that can be used as a solution for all of the different health and medical issues out there. At the Foundation, we do see that technology offers a promise for improving health outcomes through the rapid dissemination of information in order to both arm the public with information and also synchronize efforts around a particular health issue.

Through the Healthier World Innovation Challenge, we are looking for new innovations that will empower members of underserved communities with the information they need to improve their own health. We are looking for innovations that are scalable, can be used in local communities and potentially implemented on a wider scale.

Anurag Kumar

What is the major area of your concern for the developers who are working on innovative medical technologies?

Dr. Graham

According to the CDC, one in two Americans are affected by chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. In fact, diabetes and heart disease are two of the top 10 leading causes of death among African-Africans, and diabetes risk is 66 percent higher among Hispanics compared to non-Hispanic whites (CDC). These trends highlight the health divide that prevents so many individuals in vulnerable communities, such as minority and low-income zip codes, from receiving care and fundamental health information.

Through the Healthier World Innovation Challenge, we are looking for the brightest individuals from around the country to innovate new ways for members of underserved communities to access the tools and information they need to take control of their own health.

Anurag Kumar

Will it be good for the participants if developers are motivated selflessly for the welfare of people?

Dr. Graham

Through the Healthier World Innovation Challenge, we are looking forward to seeing the new and creative methods that people think of to make a difference in the lives of people in underserved communities.

As a physician, I have been inspired by seeing my own patients use technology to improve their health outcomes. In Baltimore, I saw a young girl use her phone to look up her grandmother’s health condition and then download an app to help them track their daily walks. This small act had a great impact on her grandmother’s health, and was made possible by technology’s power to help people quickly gather information. As individuals enter the Challenge, we hope they will draw on a desire to empower others to take control of their health.

Anurag Kumar

What are your expectations from the developers entering Aetna Foundation’s Healthier World Innovation Challenge?

Dr. Graham

Applications for the Healthier World Innovation Challenge will be assessed on the following criteria:

Innovative use of developed technology in real world interventions.
Potential impact on underserved populations with high chronic disease prevalence.
Demonstrated credibility and influence in their targeted communities based on the types and quality of partnerships and coalitions being presented.
Engagement of community partners to help drive measurable health outcomes.
Ability to track positive health change over a three year period through evidence-based approaches.
Ability to scale for use across platforms in different community settings.

All non-profit and community organizations with a 501(c)(3) status and state and local government agencies are eligible to enter the Healthier World Innovation Challenge.

So if you are looking to enter in this challenge, Learn more about the Healthier World Innovation Challenge here.