Innovation takes center stage whenever WISH convenes in Doha for a summit of global healthcare leaders, and one of the ways WISH brings innovation into focus is by supporting the work of young innovators and offering them a unique platform for showcasing their ideas.
Across the years, innovators have benefitted greatly from being able to have direct access to policy makers and experienced healthcare professionals. This contact has provided young innovators with mentors, both formal and informal
One such Young Innovator to benefit from her involvement in WISH is Adepeju Jaiyeoba from Nigeria, who showcased her Mother’s Delivery Kits – sterile kits containing products that a woman needs during childbirth to avoid any potential neo-natal complications.
Adepeju explains: “After attending WISH in 2015 I was named an emerging global entrepreneur by the White House in Washington and went on to be hosted and recognized by President Barack Obama prior to his leaving office.
“Being a Young Innovator at WISH was a key catalyst. As a result of participating in WISH, I was able to acquire knowledge that helped in the expansion of my work to communities in Nigeria and beyond.
“In 2011, I lost a friend at childbirth due to a delay in getting skilled help. Her death puts a face behind every statistic on maternal death I have seen – and that was my turning point. It made me realize how dangerous childbirth has become and how our best are dying giving life.
“I was proud to be recognized as a ‘young innovator’ at WISH, a gathering of key policy makers and health experts from around the world. I hope that being able to share our ideas will inspire others to act, as well as prompt governments to recognize the need for better provision of services for maternal and pediatric care in the developing world.”
Currently Adepeju’s Mother’s Delivery Kits are being used in 30 out of Nigeria’s 36 states, as well as in Ghana. To date, almost 100,000 kits have been distributed.
