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From local innovation to global learning

Supporting community-engaged social innovation for stronger health impact and greater social and health equity.

Across countries and regions, community-rooted health challenges need community-rooted solutions. Social innovators are developing practical responses to real health needs, often in low-resource and marginalised settings.

SIHI helps create the conditions for these innovations to be identified, supported, studied, shared and strengthened. This page brings together selected voices, reflections and learning from innovators, hub facilitators and wider SIHI materials to show what the SIHI Network makes possible.

Download the Snapshot summary
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Social innovation in health
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What the SIHI Network makes possible

Research

Strengthening research capacity

SIHI supports innovators and hubs to strengthen research capacity, document learning and generate evidence around community-engaged social innovation in health.

Visibility

Increasing visibility and credibility

Being part of SIHI can help innovators and hubs gain recognition, build credibility and access new opportunities for connection.

Connecting people, learning and systems

SIHI connects innovators, hubs, researchers, health actors, communities and partners so that local learning can become shared learning.

Support

Supporting Scale-up
and Impact

SIHI helps create the conditions for innovations to be adapted, shared, sustained and considered for wider uptake.

Connectiong people

Building community and shared purpose

SIHI is more than a technical network: it nurtures the relationships, trust and shared commitment that social innovation depends on.

In their words

“Being part of SIHI has empowered us to grow, connect, and sustain innovations that change lives.”
Social innovator
“SIHI has strengthened my research skills and improved our ability to track our impact.”
Social innovator
“It is a big network with many hubs and global partners. This is appealing and offers credibility.”
Hub facilitator
“There is a felt generosity of spirit in SIHI that we truly appreciate.”
Social innovator
“Learning about what’s happening on the other side of the world… sparks motivation and even collaboration.”
Hub facilitator
“The SIHI Network has given us visibility among other health innovators, contributed to our process of strengthening innovation skills, and allowed us to connect with other organisations.”
Social innovator
“The work of SIHI is important. But the character of people behind SIHI is equally so.”
Social innovator
“SIHI helps us see the bigger picture and makes our work matter more.”
Social innovator

What we are hearing from the network

Feedback from innovators and hub facilitators across Africa, Latin America and Asia points to a strong interest in continued connection, visibility, peer learning and technical support, while highlighting SIHI’s role in strengthening capacity, supporting evidence generation and connecting actors across contexts.
of innovator respondents said being part of SIHI contributed to the success of their innovations.
0 %
of hub facilitator respondents reported a positive impact of SIHI Network on their work.
0 %
said being part of the SIHI Network had raised the profile of their hub.
0 %
of hub facilitator respondents supported the idea of Communities of Practice.
0 %
These figures reflect feedback and reflections gathered through the Voices from the Field Snapshot. Based on surveys of 28 social innovators and 24 hub facilitators across the SIHI Network, conducted in late 2025.

From local innovation to global learning

1

Community-rooted innovation

Innovators respond to real health needs in local contexts.

2

Research and
evidence

Hubs support documentation, learning and evidence generation.

3

Visibility and
credibility

Innovators and hubs gain recognition and opportunities for connection.

4

Shared
learning

Local insights are shared across the SIHI Network.

5

Wider impact
and scale-up

Research and learning support adaptation, scale-up, sustainability and stronger health impact.

Looking ahead: future SIHI conversations

The voices gathered through the Snapshot and wider SIHI materials point to a clear opportunity: to deepen connection, learning and collaboration across the SIHI Network. As SIHI looks ahead, one possible avenue is being explored: a SIHI Global Forum, hosting more specialised Communities of Practice.

The proposed SIHI Global Forum

An emerging space bringing together everyone interested in staying connected, including innovators, hub facilitators, researchers, mentors, partners and funders, along with others beyond the SIHI Network. The Forum could host webinars with invited experts, share news across the network, and help link innovators with partners and funders. The concept is still evolving and will be shaped by further input and network priorities.

Communities of Practice, hosted within the Forum

As shared interests emerge, often through a Forum webinar, more specialised Communities of Practice could take shape: focused spaces for regular exchange around learning, mentorship and shared priorities, with insights flowing back to the wider Forum community.

 

Register interest in future SIHI conversations
Interested in future SIHI conversations, Communities of Practice or Global Forum updates? Please share your details and areas of interest.
I am interested in:
Role / connection to SIHI
Prefer to talk directly? Contact the SIHI Secretariat at info@socialinnovationinhealth.org

Thank you for helping shape future SIHI conversations and opportunities for learning, collaboration and community-engaged social innovation in health.