IMPALA System secures 260K grant from Founders Pledge and community!

GOAL 3 IMPALA System secures grant from Founders Pledge for potential exceptional cost-effectiveness in global health

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Founders Pledge and its community recently awarded a 260K USD research grant to GOAL 3. With this funding, GOAL 3 aims to further validate the cost-effectiveness of its IMPALA patient monitoring system, which GOAL 3 believes could outperform traditional interventions like anti-malaria bed nets and vitamin A supplementation by up to 20 times in cost-effectiveness. 

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Kigali, Rwanda, September 30, 2024 – GOAL 3, a trailblazing organization dedicated to maximizing impact in global health, has secured a $260,000 grant from Founders Pledge and its community. The grant was awarded based on IMPALA’s potential to be one of the world’s most cost-effective solutions to saving lives in low-resource settings.

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Promising early results  

The Founders Pledge Global Health and Development Fund, known for its rigorous assessment and commitment to funding the most effective interventions, recognized the IMPALA System after an in-depth evaluation process. Early pilot results from a district hospital in Malawi demonstrated a 42% reduction in pediatric mortality, translating to an internal cost-effectiveness estimate of approximately $208 per life saved (these results are not yet verified by Founders Pledge). If these results hold up on further research, IMPALA is a potentially game-changing intervention, with cost-effectiveness competitive with the most effective standard of care interventions such as treatments for malaria, and up to 20 times more effective than vitamin A supplementation. 

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“We think the IMPALA System has the potential to be extremely cost-effective, and are excited to fund research to examine its impact

‍‍- Rosie Bettle (Senior Researcher and Global Health and Development Fund co-manager at Founders Pledge)

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Moreover, the intervention reduces workload for health workers and admission time of patients, which helps alleviate pressure on overstretched health systems. 

GOAL 3 will use the grant to further validate the IMPALA System’s impact across seven hospitals in Malawi and Rwanda, with a focus on systematic evaluation to inform scalability and secure future funding. This research, expected to yield the first results in October 2024, is critical for understanding the full potential of IMPALA and optimizing its deployment in diverse healthcare settings.

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From reactive to proactive care 

GOAL 3 developed the IMPALA System, a comprehensive patient monitoring solution, to support health workers in high-burden, resource-constrained healthcare environments. It integrates a vital signs patient monitor, a clinical support application, and a data server, enabling healthcare workers to deliver timely, prioritized care. By shifting from reactive to proactive healthcare, the IMPALA System aims to significantly reduce mortality rates while optimizing the use of limited resources.

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“I am excited to see what the next stage of research shows about IMPALA. I am interested in IMPALA’s potential to help alleviate the pressure on low-resourced healthcare facilities, and to save lives in the process.”

‍-Rosie Bettle (Senior Researcher and Global Health and Development Fund co-manager at Founders Pledge)

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The IMPALA System’s preliminary success in Malawi suggests that it could be one of the most cost-effective health interventions available, offering an exciting opportunity to achieve significant impact at scale. Recent data from Tanzania further indicates that its effectiveness in neonatal care settings could be even greater, making it a promising candidate for broad implementation. 

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Dr. Niek Versteegde, Founder & CEO of GOAL 3, shared his vision:

‍"Our work is driven by the belief that every child’s life has immense value and that with the right tools, we can dramatically improve outcomes even in the most challenging environments. The IMPALA System enables leveraging existing resources more effectively, turning limited inputs into maximal life-saving impact." 

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His vision is based on his experience as a tropical doctor in Tanzania.

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“I saw babies and children passing away from conditions that could have been treated at low costs. We were just not able to recognize and manage them in time due to a shortage of staff and adequate equipment. As sustainably increasing resources was impossible, I realized that we needed to work smarter, not harder. This has led to the development of IMPALA. Our current results, not only show decreased mortality but also decreased workload and faster patient recovery, leading to a break in the vicious cycle of overstretched health systems and overburdened staff."

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How you can get involved

GOAL 3 is actively collaborating with NGOs, funders, and local partners to scale the IMPALA System across Africa. The organization is also open to support from individuals and groups committed to high-impact interventions. You can learn more about GOAL 3 or contribute to an IMPALA implementation via their foundation page

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About GOAL 3:

GOAL 3 is a global organization, with offices in the Netherlands and Rwanda consisting of a social enterprise and a foundation that work synergistically by combining profit-driven innovation with philanthropic support to achieve the shared vision of "Fair and accessible healthcare for everyone." It focuses on innovations that maximize health impact in low-resource settings. Its IMPALA System, an innovative and cost-effective solution that enables healthcare workers in low-resource health settings to monitor and prioritize patient care, saves lives at unprecedented cost-effectiveness. The System was recently acknowledged as the 1st runner-up in the prestigious EU Humanitarian Innovation Prize. GOAL 3’s mission is to improve access to high-quality care for 100 million people by empowering 1 million health workers by 2030. Please visit www.goal3.org for more information.

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About Founders Pledge:

Founders Pledge is a global nonprofit empowering entrepreneurs to do the most good possible with their charitable giving. Members are equipped with everything needed to maximize their impact, from evidence-led research and advice on the world’s most pressing problems to a comprehensive infrastructure for global grant-making, alongside opportunities to learn and connect. To date, they have pledged over $10 billion to charity and donated more than $1.1 billion. They are grateful to be funded by their members and other generous donors. founderspledge.com