Today, USAID will convene a first-of-its-kind conference to bring together some of the world’s preeminent scientists, development experts and Federal science agency leaders to discuss the challenges we face and how we can partner to creatively tackle them through new scientific and technological advancements. Entitled Transforming Development through Science, Technology and Innovation and co-hosted with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the President’s Science Advisor, Dr. John Holdren, we believe the next two days will herald a new era for science and technology at USAID.
Scientific and technological breakthroughs can save millions of lives and strengthen fragile communities worldwide. Using science and technology to deliver high impact development is a top priority for President Obama and is core to our agenda here at USAID.
Our advancements in these fields have led to game-changing improvements in every sector in which we work and across our more than 80 missions around the world. USAID was at the forefront of developing oral rehydration salts to fight against diarrheal diseases and using life-saving vaccines to reduce infant mortality. And just last month, we announced an innovative partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to create a $10 million fund to incentivize a mobile banking revolution in Haiti.
We’ll keep you updated on the conference’s findings through posts, photos, and other materials that we’ll post to IMPACT.
