The Canadian non-profit is working on 20 innovations that it hopes will assist developing countries through the global pandemic.

These include novel, affordable ways to acquire medical oxygen, ventilators, masks and other critically needed Covid-19 supplies and services.

To overcome the unprecedented global health challenges presented by Covid-19, the world needs innovation and ingenuity

GCC Co-CEO Dr Karlee Silver said: "Innovation in global health means provisioning low-resource areas with needed goods and services that are better, faster and cheaper. Such solutions take time to develop, scale up, and evaluate as they transition to scale.

"With Canadian Government funding, we have supported a portfolio of solutions over the past 10 years that are particularly relevant to the developing world's Covid-19 response. It is during times like these that the value of investment in innovation becomes most obvious.

"GCC is lending expertise and other support to the innovators as they focus on the pandemic, and several will receive additional funding as needed to help accelerate their response to Covid-19. Many others among GCC's 228 active innovation projects are working to mitigate the fallout of Covid-19 on reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services disrupted by pandemic control measures.

"We have been guided by local governments' needs, with locally supplied medical oxygen topping the list − a resource in tragically short supply and high demand throughout much of the developing world."

The projects are as follows:

• Four projects providing medical oxygen
• Two producing rugged, battery backed-up ventilators
• One pivoting from affordable, locally produced sanitary pads to low-cost masks
• Two offering innovative diagnostic / imaging equipment
• Seven supporting remote patient care, monitoring and essential products delivery
• One supporting mental healthcare
• Two supporting safe water, sanitation and hygiene
• One supporting at-home education

Karina Gould, Canada's Minister of International Development, commented on the innovations underway: "To overcome the unprecedented global health challenges presented by Covid-19, the world needs innovation and ingenuity. Over the past 10 years, Canada's funding for Grand Challenges Canada has helped hundreds of innovative ideas become a reality. Today, some of those very ideas are saving lives by helping people prevent and respond to Covid-19 and other health challenges in developing countries."

Exciting innovations and projects such as these provide hope that Covid-19 can be combated. Collaboration are two key weapons in the fight against the disease, and such examples display human solidarity at its finest.