BetaEntity Annotation Prototype
← Back to interventions

Annotated abstract

45 Fifteen years of innovation and impact: lessons from grand challenges Canada’s saving brains program

bmjpo · 2026-07-14 · canonical JSON source

4 visible annotations · policy: published · automated confidence ≥ 75.00%

Document resource

Over the past 15 years, Grand Challenges Canada’s Saving Brains program has supported over 150 innovations across 39 countries, reaching more than 9.6 million children and caregivers and improving the lives of over 5.4 million children and their families. This session will reflect on the program’s evolution—from seeding bold ideas to scaling high-impact solutions—and share critical insights on what it takes to drive sustainable, systems-level change for the most vulnerable children. We will spotlight innovations that have demonstrated transformative impact in equity-deserving communities, including:ASTRADHE: A community-based early intervention model that integrates responsive caregiving, early learning, and disability-inclusive practices for young children with developmental delays and their families.Canal Canoa: A powerful cultural preservation and early learning initiative co-designed with Indigenous communities in the Amazon, using multimedia storytelling to foster intergenerational knowledge exchange and child development.Baby Ubuntu: A family-centered, community-led program supporting children with disabilities and their caregivers through psychosocial support, play, inclusion, and health system integration.These innovations reflect Saving Brains’ commitment to advancing equity through inclusion, culturally grounded approaches, and caregiver empowerment. The session will explore what we’ve learned about reaching Indigenous children, children with disabilities, and those living in marginalized contexts—and how innovation can continue to close equity gaps in early childhood development globally. Participants will engage in a forward-looking dialogue on how to build more inclusive, responsive, and resilient systems, informed by the experiences of innovators and the communities they serve.