About
The partnership between Savana Signatures in Ghana and the University of Notre Dame in the USA leverages combined expertise in nursing, public health, development communication, public policy, and data science to address maternal and infant health disparities in rural Ghanaian communities.
Savana Signatures
Savana Signatures is a Ghanaian non-governmental organization (NGO) and leader in the innovative use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to design and deliver inclusive, scalable Social and Behavior Change (SBC) and community development interventions. The NGO has extensive experience infusing innovative approaches into maternal and infant health, nutrition, sexual health and rights, education, and skills development initiatives with Ghanaian youth, women, and vulnerable populations in 44 districts across the country. We bring 13 years of experience in SBC, capacity, and community and private sector engagement and partnership. Our staff have experience in community engagement, mass media, gender and disability inclusion, and ICT with maternal and infant health Ghana-specific expertise and a geographic footprint throughout the country, including within the target 25 districts. We are a leader in advancing integrated and multisectoral SBC programs that seek to improve and sustain the adoption of healthy behaviors (with a focus on proximal and distal behaviors) and that shift social and gender norms to improve health outcomes. In August 2019, Savana Signatures received the Best Innovative and Technological Development Award from the Northern Business Excellence Association. In March 2020, it received the NExA Sexual and Reproductive Health Organization of the Year Award from the Celebrities Charity Development Foundation in recognition of its “impact in using technology to contribute to the reduction of maternal mortality and sexual reproductive health issues” across four regions in Northern Ghana. Currently, Savana Signatures works across eight regions in Ghana and implements various projects with UNICEF Ghana, UNESCO Ghana, and the World Food Programme (WFP) to promote vaccine acceptance amongst key populations, fight gender-based violence and promote the consumption of locally available nutritious foods to enhance pregnant and lactating mothers’ well-being.
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame is an independent, national Catholic research university founded by the Congregation of the Holy Cross. Notre Dame is dedicated to the pursuit of truth and knowledge, engaging members of the Notre Dame community in scholarly endeavors while educating the mind, body, and spirit. The University seeks to cultivate in its community not only an appreciation for the great achievements of human beings but also a disciplined sensibility to poverty, injustice, and oppression. The aim is to create a sense of human solidarity and concern for the common good that will bear fruit as learning becomes service to justice.
Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH)
The University of Notre Dame's Eck Institute for Global Health (EIGH) serves as a university-wide enterprise that recognizes health as a fundamental human right and works to promote research, training, and service to advance health standards and reduce health disparities for all. The EIGH brings together multidisciplinary teams of Notre Dame faculty, staff, and students who partner with both domestic and international collaborative networks to build strong and lasting partnerships to affect change at a global scale.
As an integral part of Notre Dame Research, the EIGH builds on the University’s historical strength in infectious disease research, while broadening the scope of its expertise to include maternal and infant health, and non-communicable diseases, among others. The EIGH provides administrative, logistical, and funding support to its faculty affiliates, connecting them to a network of multidisciplinary partners that includes NGOs, ministries of health and governmental research facilities, and academic centers worldwide.
Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society
The Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society (est. 2020) is an interdisciplinary research institute at the University of Notre Dame. The Institute brings together faculty, staff, students, community organizations, and industry to enable a positive impact on society and individual lives through innovative domain-informed and data-driven methods and applications. The Institute is made up of data scientists, software engineers, and faculty who utilize cutting-edge methodologies to conduct research in areas such as health inequities (including maternal health), manufacturing, insurance, education, misinformation, environmental science, and research data management. The Institute is currently engaged in projects that involve collaborations with local (South Bend-Elkhart region in Northern Indiana), state (Indiana), national (across the U.S.), and international partners (México, Vietnam). There are over 130 faculty, staff, and community organizers who are affiliated with the Lucy Family Institute and are active collaborators on Institute-led projects.
Pulte Institute for Global Development
As an integral part of the Keough School of Global Affairs, the Pulte Institute addresses global poverty and inequality through policy, practice, and partnership. It designs, implements, monitors, and evaluates projects and programs that promote human dignity, empowering the world’s poorest and vulnerable populations to flourish. The Institute seeks to work creatively and collaboratively with faculty, researchers, and students at the Keough School of Global Affairs and across the University of Notre Dame, in building a reputation for excellence on the themes of sustainability, humanitarianism, business in development, effective states, and global health.