The World Bank Group in partnership with The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) today launched The Global Women’s HealthTech Awards to recognize innovations that leverage tech to improve women’s health and safety in emerging markets.
Tech innovators in emerging markets are invited to apply for the awards under three categories: reproductive health and pregnancy, general women’s health, and women safety and security. Up to 12 winning solutions will be selected through a competitive process and will be awarded in a public ceremony at CES 2022. Applications can be submitted at www.ifc.org/WomensHealthTechAwards by September 26, 2021.
This Award program builds on a partnership between CTA and The World Bank Group designed to mobilize the tech community to create solutions focused on key development challenges. At CES 2020, the World Bank Group partnered with CTA to create the Global Tech Challenge.
Technology plays a key role in addressing some of the most pressing challenges for women, including access to maternal care, reproductive care, high-quality diagnostic tests and screening, as well as solutions to increase general safety and security. These technologies can help meet the unique health care challenges that women face in developing countries. For example, 94 percent of all maternal deaths occur in low and lower-middle income countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Historically, women’s health and well-being has suffered due to socio-economic factors, discrimination, and lack of adequate infrastructure and services,” said Makhtar Diop, IFC’s Managing Director. “Technology is opening new opportunities to knock down these barriers, providing more inclusive, affordable solutions for girls and women around the world.”
“We know technology improves lives and provides women with greater access to healthcare and quality of treatment around the world. At CES 2022 we will see many tech solutions addressing the worlds needs in healthcare,” said Karen Chupka, EVP, CES, CTA. “We are excited to partner again with The World Bank Group and IFC to recognize the top innovations that are providing solutions and making a difference in the health and wellbeing of women. We look forward to announcing the winners of the Global Women’s HealthTech Awards at this year’s show in Las Vegas.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the challenges hindering women’s access to adequate health care, particularly in emerging markets. As previous pandemics and epidemics have shown, women’s access to healthcare drops dangerously during such times, with women more likely to be exposed to the virus and unable to access adequate health care.
The disruption of social networks combined with stay-at-home measures has also increased the risk of domestic violence, aggravating an issue that already affected millions of girls and women globally. According to latest data, in their lifetime, 1 in 3 women are subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner.