15 October 2025
Driving Frugal Innovation for Global Health: Trinity Challenge Founder, Dame Sally Davies, Celebrates Community-Driven Innovation
Against the striking backdrop of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Dame Sally Davies gathered global health leaders, innovators, and partners for an evening of inspiration and collaboration during the World Health Summit.
Co-hosted by The Trinity Challenge and the Institute of Philanthropy, the dinner celebrated a shared commitment to advancing frugal technology innovations that strengthen and transform global health systems.
Distinguished guests explored the role of data and technology in combating public health threats and the importance of partnerships in enabling community-led innovations that serve those with the greatest need.
Facing increasing fragmentation and declining funding, Dame Sally emphasised the great potential of community-driven innovation, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where resource constraints often spark creativity and efficiency.
“The landscape is becoming more fragmented, and the consequences for communities are real. Yet alongside these challenges, we see enormous potential.”
This philosophy lies at the heart of The Trinity Challenge, which has committed over £11 million in funding to projects across 26 countries, catalysing practical, scalable innovations that make an immediate difference on the ground.
Several Trinity Challenge winners were spotlighted during the evening, illustrating how simplicity and smart design can achieve drive transformative impact. For example, PODD (Participatory One Health Disease Detection) has transformed Thai farmers into frontline disease detectives through a mobile app that helps prevent outbreaks and zoonotic spillover. Meanwhile, Vaccine Ledger, a blockchain system ensuring end-to-end vaccine traceability, has been scaled by the Costa Rican government across all medical procurements.
“These are examples of frugal technology in action- clever designs that work in real-world settings and deliver tangible impact,” Dame Sally said. “The Trinity Challenge has demonstrated its value as an incubator for such innovation.”
The evening also underscored the necessity for strong international partnerships to drive meaningful change. The evening’s co-host, Dr Gabriel Leung, Director of the Institute of Philanthropy, encouraged a diverse group of global funders, advocates, and influencers in attendance to contribute ideas, resources, and networks to The Trinity Challenge.
Looking to the future, Dame Sally called on those assembled to work collectively to preserve the global innovation ecosystem and to continue supporting the Trinity Challenge’s mission of driving sustainable, tech-driven solutions in low- and middle-income countries.
For more information on the work of The Trinity Challenge, contact [email protected].
