Noord-Brabant-based GOAL 3, a company that develops patient monitoring systems, announced on Tuesday, March 19, that it secured second place prize at the European Humanitarian Forum in Brussels.
The European Prize for Humanitarian Innovation, known as InnovAid, crowned the International Rescue Committee IRC Deutschland from Germany as the inaugural champion.
The Humanitarian Logistics Cooperative from France secured the third spot.
The grand prize winner will be awarded €250,000, with the two runners-up receiving €150,000 and €100,000 respectively.
The three finalists were judged by an independent panel of judges who judged on four criteria:
- Innovation
- Quality and sustainability
- Affordability and Cost-effectiveness
- Engagement with end users
Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, says, “My warmest congratulations to the winner as well as the runners-up. They exemplify the spirit of humanitarian creativity, pushing the boundaries to benefit the lives of vulnerable people in crisis. They embody what the InnovAid Prize is all about celebrating innovators that transform compassion into action to deliver more effective humanitarian aid.”
The European Prize for Humanitarian Innovation (InnovAid) is awarded to organisations, social enterprises, and companies leveraging technology to assist vulnerable populations affected by humanitarian crises.
The Netherlands’ GOAL 3 secured 2nd spot
Based on early results, GOAL 3’s affordable patient monitoring system could be among the most cost-effective solutions for saving lives. Pilot results showed a 59% reduction in child mortality compared to the same period a year before implementation.
GOAL 3 will use the prize to expand the IMPALA system and collaborate with NGOs, funders, and local organisations to improve accessibility and better support health workers.
“We are extremely honoured to receive this award,” says GOAL 3 CEO Niek Versteegde. “We have an ambitious goal, to improve access to high-quality healthcare for 100 million people by 2030. This award is an important step in making that happen.”
What does GOAL 3 solve?
Over 4 billion individuals globally are unable to access basic healthcare services. It has led to an estimated 15.8 million preventable deaths. Alarmingly, nearly half of these deaths are caused by substandard care.
The majority of these patients do make it to a healthcare facility and cost-effective treatments are available. However, due to a shortage of trained staff and equipment, these treatments are often administered too late.
GOAL3: Helps clinical health workers to analyze patients effectively
Led by Niek Versteegde, GOAL 3 (named after Sustainable Development Goal 3) has developed the IMPALA system to address the enormous human resource gaps in low- and middle-income countries.
The IMPALA system enables healthcare workers in overcrowded health settings to monitor and prioritize patient care, facilitating a shift from reactive to proactive care and saving countless lives at a lower cost.
GOAL 3 says the IMPALA system is used primarily in childcare settings and is one of the solutions that helped to bring child mortality to an all-time low in 2022 as published by the UNICEF report last week.
They are currently operating in Rwanda, Malawi, and Tanzania with ambitions to expand across the continent.
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