THE SIHI NETWORK
The Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI) is a network of passionate individuals and institutions combining their skills and resources in support of key activities to promote social innovation in health. We are neither a formal partnership nor a funding body.
We share a common goal to advance social innovation in achieving Sustainable Development Goals and improving lives of communities in low- and middle-income countries. Our mission is to unlock the capacity residing within the actors of the health system to advance social innovation. We do this through south-south-north collaboration in three areas:
RESEARCH
We conduct research on community-based models and develop tools / mechanisms to advance research.
COUNTRY CAPACITY
We strengthen the capacity for social innovation and research in social innovation amongst universities and health system actors in LMICs.
ADVOCACY
Engage with global, national and local strategic influencers to embed social innovation as an approach in the health agenda and foster a collaborative movement.
The network was launched in 2014 through joint efforts of the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Cape Town, the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford University, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and TDR, the UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases.
In 2017, the SIHI network expanded to include additional partners from low- and middle-income countries: University of Malawi College of Medicine in Malawi; Makerere University School of Public Health in Uganda; University of Philippines Manila College of Medicine; Social Entrepreneurship to Spur Health initiative in China; and Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Medicas (CIDEIM) in Colombia in collaboration with ICESI University and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
In 2020, the SIHI Secretariat was formed to facilitate the expansion of the SIHI network. Based at the University of the Philippines Manila, it provides support to SIHI partner coordination and global network communication, and to the sustainability of the network. In the same year, more implementing partners from Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean joined the network: Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Nigeria; Universitas Gadjah Mada Center for Tropical Medicine in Indonesia; University of Ghana School of Public Health; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras hosted by Unidad de Investigación Científica Facultad de Ciencias Médicas (FCM UNAH) in Honduras; and University of Rwanda. In 2021, the DERBI Foundation based in Bangalore, India and a consortium in Sweden made up of the Uppsala University, Karolinska Institutet, and Make a Difference (MAD) also became part of the SIHI network as implementing partners.
In addition, SIHI is collaborating with several organizations such as Fondation Mérieux, Ahimsa Fund, the WHO Department of Service Delivery and Safety, WHO AFRO, and the United Nations University-International Institute for Global Health. Several organizations such as Africalics, Globelics, PAHO, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, the WARN-TB Secretariat in Benin, the WHO Innovation Hub, UNAIDS, UNDP, and UNICEF work together with SIHI to build global capacity on social innovation in health.
The SIHI Network is able to do its work with support from the TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Disease, co-sponsored by UNDP, UNICEF, the World Bank and WHO. TDR also receives additional funds from Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) to support SIHI.
WHO CALLS FOR GLOBAL COLLABORATION ON SOCIAL INNOVATION IN HEALTH
SIHI SECRETARIAT
The Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI) Secretariat was formed in 2020. Hosted at the University of the Philippines Manila, the SIHI Secretariat team provides support for SIHI partner coordination, strategic communication, and network sustainability. In the past few years, it also focused on further strengthening collaborations and capacities in SIHI through network building and advocacy for social innovation in health.
In 2024, the SIHI network celebrated its 10th year anniversary, focusing promoting sustainability and institutionalisation by facilitating platforms and discussions for innovative partnerships, funding, and resource mobilization among SIHI research hubs and partners.
THE SIHI INTERNAL COORDINATION GROUP (ICG)
In a bid to bolster SIHI’s endeavors, the SIHI Secretariat facilitated the formation of a small coordinating body to provide guidance, direction, and oversight over the SIHI global network. This group is called the SIHI Internal Coordination Group or the ICG. The team’s primary objective is to enhance SIHI’s impact in achieving its mission of promoting social innovation in the healthcare sector.
The ICG is composed of TDR partners and representatives from the following hubs: SIHI LAC, SIHI Philippines, SIHI Uganda, SIHI Malawi, SIHI South Africa, and SIHI China. It is currently facilitated by Dr. Joseph Tucker from SIHI China and Dr. Meredith del Pilar-Labarda, who leads the SIHI Secretariat.
Partner coordination
SIHI global network communication
Sustainability of the network
SIHI MILESTONES
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2015
First innovation call:
Africa, Asia, Latin America & the CaribbeanCase study field visit:
15 countriesConvening:
‘Capacity strengthening for the advancement of social innovation in healthcare deliver’y, Cape Town, South Africa, 2 – 3 November 2015Convening:
‘Evidence-based social innovation consultation: re-imagining healthcare delivery in the global south’, Annecy France, 2- 4 December 2015World Health Organization, Call for Global Action in Social Innovation
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2016
Release of 23 case studies & 19 films
Convening :
‘Funding agencies join forces to advance social innovation in health’, November 2016, Annecy, FranceExpanding low- and middle-income partners:
Consortium of emerging hubs established: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of Malawi, University of the Philippines, Makerere University & CIDEIM -
2017
Release of WHO, TDR publication:
Case Studies and Lesson Learned from Low- and Middle-Income CountriesConvening:
Emerging hub social innovation training workshop, 5 – 7 April 2017, London, UK3 Country social innovation calls:
Malawi, Uganda, the Philippines -
2018
Country social innovation call:
MalawiConvening:
SIHI Emerging Hub Strategy Workshop & SIHI Network Meeting, Blantyre, MalawiConvening:
Co-creating a Research Guidance for Social Innovation, May 2018, Blantyre, MalawiRelease of WHO, TDR-SIHI Crowdsourcing in Health and Health Research:
A Practical GuideNew partners join SIHI:
SESH, Ahimsa Fund, Fondation Mérieux, WHO Service Delivery and Safety -
2019
Release of Journal of Infectious Diseases of Poverty’s series:
Social innovation to transform health care deliveryCountry social innovation call:
MalawiAndean Region (SIHI Latin America and the Caribbean)
Convening:
TDR – Supported SIHI Hub Proposal Development WorkshopGeneva, Switzerland
12-14 February 2019
Convening:
SIHI Partners WorkshopKampala, Uganda
8 – 10 October 2019
New partners join SIHI:
SIDA, UNAIDS, WHO Afro -
2020
Convening:
SIHI Virtual Network MeetingSIHI Partners Workshop
New partners join SIHI:
Africalics, Globelics, Make a Difference, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, UNDP, UNICEF, United Nations University, Universitas Gadjah Mada, University of Ghana, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras and University of Rwanda.Country social innovation calls:
Ghana (University), Nigeria (State), Rwanda, Philippines,Uganda (University)
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2021
New partners join SIHI:
DERBI Foundation
Sweden consortium: Uppsala University, Karolinska Institutet, MADCountry social innovation calls:
India, Indonesia, Ghana, Latin America and the Caribbean Region, Malaysia, Nigeria, UgandaRelease of SIHI-TDR-SESH Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
Open webinars on the Social Innovation Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and social innovations in Asia
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2022
Country social innovation calls:
Uganda, Philippines, Indonesia (Youth ideathon), China (Go Youth! Global Open Call)Release of BMJ Innovations Supplement on Social Innovation in Health and TDR-SESH Public Engagement and Crowdfunding in Health Research Guide
SIHI Fellow Program and SIHI-SESH Summer Social Innovation Training workshops
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2023
Country social innovation calls:
Latin America and the Caribbean (regional), Indonesia, Malawi and Rwanda (inter-country), Nigeria
Global open call:
Blueprint Open Call/#TheHealthYouthWant (Led by SESH)
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Participation in the Member States consultation on a draft Regional Innovation Strategy, World Health Organization Western Pacific Region
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The beginning of SIHI Talks, a webinar series that serves as a platform where SIHI hubs can connect with other like-minded organizations and individuals, fostering knowledge exchange, networking, and collaboration opportunities.
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SIHI Internal Coordination Group formed
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2024
Country social innovation calls:
Philippines, Uganda
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New hub to join SIHI: SIHI Kuwait at WYN Academy
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Publications: Chapter 6: Social innovation for resilient health systems in the book Resilient Health Leveraging Technology and Social Innovations to Transform Healthcare for COVID-19 Recovery and Beyond
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Published Research: Wenjie Shan, Joseph D Tucker, Carine Ronsmans, Jana Deborah Mier-Alpaño, Allan Ulitin, Jose Rene Bagani Cruz, Katerina N Abiertas, Renzo Guinto, Meredith Labarda - Community boat service to promote institutional delivery in the Philippines: a mixed-methods study of a social innovation: BMJ Public Health 2024;2:e001419.
