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Summary: Background: Women are estimated to hold between 70 and 75% of global health positions worldwide yet persistent inequities in power and leadership remain. There is little information on specific enablers and barriers that women working in public health face in India and how those compare with other regions. Methods: We collected and analyzed information from women working in public health in India and East Africa (Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda) and in global health (Canada and United States), to understand and document the specific enablers and barriers women face in India, compared with other regions. Findings: Several universal themes emerged around factors enabling (mentors, professional networks, leadership based in empathy and team building) or impeding (obvert bias and family responsibilities) women across all contexts. Within this, there are nuances in how women’s leadership growth factors and obstacles play out in India differently than in other contexts. Interpretation: There are important similarities in the enablers and barriers faced by women in India and other geographies and important ways these differs in for women in India. By designing programs and policies at institutional levels to address these factors, we can create a professional ecosystem that works for women in health and beyond. Funding: This research was funded by WomenLift Health, which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Representatives from WomenLift Health, listed as authors, participated in the conceptualization of the research to define objectives and core questions, provided commentary and revision to improve the manuscript, and supervised the progress of the research.

Despite comprising 70% of the health workforce, women fill only 25% of senior and 5% of top health organization positions. Greater diversity in global health leadership, particularly greater representation of women, is essential to ensure diverse perspectives and ideas inform policies and priorities. Interviews and literature reviews surfaced many of the key challenges that women in global health face at individual, organizational and societal levels. Initiatives working to advance women’s leadership are encouraged to consider 5 key priorities that address these challenges.

Abstract Background Innovations that improve the affordability, accessibility, or effectiveness of health care played a major role in the Millennium Development Goal achievements and will be critical for reaching the ambitious new Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) health targets. Mechanisms to identify and prioritize innovations are essential to inform future investment decisions. Methods Innovation Countdown 2030 crowdsourced health innovations from around the world and engaged recognized experts to systematically assess their lifesaving potential by 2030. A health impact modeling approach was developed and used to quantify the costs and lives saved for select innovations identified as having great promise for improving maternal, newborn, and child health. Results Preventive innovations targeting health conditions with a high mortality burden had the greatest impact in regard to the absolute number of estimated lives saved. The largest projected health impact was for a new tool for small-scale water treatment that automatically chlorinates water to a safe concentration without using electricity or moving parts. An estimated 1.5 million deaths from diarrheal disease among children under five could be prevented by 2030 by scaling up use of this technology. Use of chlorhexidine for umbilical cord care was associated with the second highest number of lives saved. Conclusions The results show why a systematic modeling approach that can compare and contrast investment opportunities is important for prioritizing global health innovations. Rigorous impact estimates are needed to allocate limited resources toward the innovations with great potential to advance the SDGs.