SPARK Global, SPARK Africa, and SPARK Gorongosa are working together to improve medical care in rural Mozambique. SPARK Global, created by Professor Daria Mochly-Rosen in 2006 at Stanford University, is a partnership between universities and industry that helps researchers turn their discoveries into real-world medical treatments through education, mentorship, knowledge, and funding.
The course, taught by SPARK researchers, uses Design Thinking to focus on patient needs. The first group included three teams of local healthcare providers who learned the SPARK method of medical innovation online through stages like Discover, Develop, and Deliver. Once the teams clearly defined local medical needs and understand the disease process, treatment options and gaps, they prepared for a bootcamp in Gorongosa National Park from August 6-10, 2024, to move to the development phase.
About 20 innovators from across Africa and 10 SPARK global leaders from Stanford University and the University of Pittsburgh will work closely with the Gorongosa SPARK team and local health centers to develop solutions for unmet medical needs. After the bootcamp, the teams will receive ongoing support for using their ideas when serving the community.
After bootcamp, the Gorongosa SPARK team, Mozambique’s Ministry of Health, and the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Otolaryngology will work together to stregthen local doctors’ skills and strengthen local ear, nose, and throat care. With support from the Eye and Ear Foundation of Pittsburgh and the Brother’s Brother Foundation, the team will also provide medical equipment needed for programs like newborn hearing screening and non-surgical treatments for pediatric ear infections.
Photos by James Byrne
