Design for Health community convenes in Dakar, Senegal

Design for Health, a community of practice committed to mainstreaming design across global health, is bringing together leaders and experts at the Museum of Black Civilisations (Le Musée des Civilisations Noires) in Dakar, Senegal, to advance the intentional and appropriate use of design to help achieve global health goals.  The event, held on 10-12th April, is jointly organised by Gobee Group and M4ID, and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID’s Center for Innovation and Impact.

It brings together 100 design and health experts to outline a path for the successful application of design in global health so as to generate the most positive health outcomes by 2030.

“The world is changing at a rapid pace. The developments taking place now, and those that will occur in the near future, will bring forth both, benefits as well as challenges and increased vulnerability to communities already at risk.  To better address these, we need innovative thinking and HCD-led approaches for developing cost-effective, efficient interventions. We are gathering in Dakar with a common mission to accelerate progress on this front,” says Mari Tikkanen, Co-CEO of M4ID. The theme of the convening hence is action, innovation and futures.

DesignforHealth – Nio Far Dakar is a follow-up to previous meetings held in Berlin, Washington D.C., New York City, and Aspen. The community first came together in late 2017, when the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID’s Center for Innovation and Impact convened design and global health leaders to critically reflect and understand how to amplify impact in global health by increasing the understanding, appropriate use, and value of design.  

More information and resources can be found at www.designforhealth.org