The retreat made me feel like a vetted member of the maternal health knowledge and action community. It was much different than attending a conference; rather than presenting solutions immediately dismissed as “just someone else’s idea,” we focused on questions, uncertainty, and at times discomfort belonging to the community. It was honest.
I slept about 30 minutes each night – the bed was comfortable, but I was never quite done wrestling with the challenges we’re facing. I’d agree with many in the room last week — we shouldn’t be sleeping easily, there needs to be a sense of urgency.
Our team at Medic Mobile is determined to turn technology innovations such as SIM applications and our upcoming dashboard platform into user-friendly tools and programs. The highlights that have sparked the most discussion among the Medic Mobile team include:
- If you have knowledge, you have responsibility and power
- “We know how to save individual lives. What we haven’t sorted is how to act on a population level”
- “For many, the goal is evidence-informed advocacy”
- “What we need is local data for relevant policy making”
- Are we too focused on increasing quantity and not quality? Can we internalize quality assessment?
- How do we (a) reach the poorest, (b) improve FP access, (c) target morbidity as well as mortality, and (d) go beyond technical interventions?