Real innovation starts with people, not products.
It makes sense to associate innovation with technology. But in the toughest settings, the most creative solutions are those that empower, recognise, and motivate people to change behaviours and attitudes.
A carefully designed incentives programme, well-crafted recognition message or a simple, no-tech, low-cost reminder bracelet made of colourful beads is the “innovation” the world often needs. From Ethiopia to Pakistan, several such approaches are transforming outcomes—often at almost little to no cost at all.
Incentives Provide Essential Motivation
We often assume innovation means apps or AI. But some of the most transformative solutions in public health have nothing to do with technology. In Punjab, Pakistan, medical colleges produce about 3x more doctors than the country can absorb. Yet, over a quarter of doctor posts at rural public facilities remain vacant. To help match this unmet demand with supply, the Department of Health launched an incentives programme that rewarded young medical doctors who spent a year working at public health facilities in the province, with extra postgraduate training qualification points. The government increased medical doctor postings by 15 percentage points as a result, showing the importance of aligning with people’s needs to raise their motivation.
The Power of Recognition
When leadership calls out a health worker’s contribution in a meeting, on a call, or with a certificate, it reassures people that they’re on the right path, and should continue doing more of it. When done publicly, it gives people listening a guide for direction. In Nigeria, the director of a local government area (LGA) was praised for driving a turnaround in public health results, helping to drive similar results in other areas. Innovation isn’t always about creating something new. Sometimes, it’s about naming what’s already working, loudly and clearly.
Empowering Citizens to Take Action
Sometimes, the most powerful innovations are the ones where citizens are in charge. In Ethiopia, dropout rates for the Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus (DPT) vaccine series were alarmingly high, largely due to caregiver forgetfulness and weak reminder systems at health facilities. To address this, “reminder bracelets” were launched in 2021 at health facilities with the highest dropout rates. The bracelets—worn by mothers—were designed with culturally popular colours and beads. Each bead carried the name of a vaccine antigen (e.g. DPT-1) and the week it was due. The impact was dramatic. DPT vaccine dropout rates fell by an average of 44 percentage points at health facilities, showing that empowering citizens can be the difference between life and death, at almost no cost.
The Future of Innovation Is Human
As funding tightens and challenges grow more complex, the temptation will be to look for big, flashy answers. But the most enduring innovations are often small, inexpensive, and deeply human. They start with the people doing the work, and remove just enough friction to let them do it better. For innovation that lasts, it’s important to stop chasing the newest, shiniest object, and focus on getting the basics right.
To learn more about making innovation simple, read our recent piece about what adversity teaches us about innovation.
