WHO — Driving Healthcare Innovation with a Digital Hackathon
Client
World Health Organization (WHO)
The background:
The COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the war in Ukraine have led to an unprecedented rush to implement information technology (IT) solutions in the healthcare sector. The World Health Organization (WHO) leads global efforts to expand universal health coverage, coordinate responses to health emergencies, and promote healthier lives – from pregnancy care through old age.
Its Triple Billion targets outline an ambitious plan to achieve good health for all through science-based policies and programmes. In response to the crisis, WHO aimed to find solutions to mental health challenges.
WHO aimed to find solutions to key mental health challenges, identifying the following five areas:
- Healthy lifestyle;
- Early detection and prevention of diseases;
- Mental health support;
- Convenient and safe interaction between doctor and patient;
- Effective interaction for doctors.
Aim of the project:
The goal of this project was to create a Health Hackathon delivering people-centered digital solutions that can contribute to the Ukrainian national healthcare strategy and meet the needs of patients, doctors and professional unions.
Services provided:
Civitta, in partnership with Radar Tech and YEP, developed and implemented a 48-hour hybrid hackathon for the WHO. Students, healthcare workers, marketers, IT specialists, and activists spent 48 hours, both offline and online, developing digital solutions for five health challenges. Teams generated and presented people-centered digital concepts with mentoring support from more than 30 experts from the health, tech and business sectors.
Results:
- 5 case challenges were tackled during the hackathon;
- 178 participants joined from across Ukraine;
- 40 participating teams: 32 offline and 8 online;
- 6 special nominations were awarded in addition to the main prize;
- 1 winning team was selected as the overall hackathon winner;
- 10 teams received three months of mentorship from Civitta and Radar Tech experts;
- The most promising solutions were invited for further collaboration with WHO.
Key Takeaways:
The project was a bold statement of what we do best – bringing top talent together, sparking innovation, and turning big ideas into real-world impact. With 178 participants, 40 teams, and 5 challenging cases, we built more than just a hackathon – we created a launchpad for the future.
Our proven ability to identify potential and guide it forward positions us as a trusted partner for anyone looking to drive meaningful innovation in healthcare.
