From Control to Stewardship: Scaling Innovation for Health for All

Why do so many promising innovations fail to scale in public systems? Not because of a lack of solutions, but because systems are not set up to absorb, adapt, and sustain them.
This session introduces the new WHO Guidance and Toolkit on Scaling Innovations in Public Health Systems and explores how governments can move from fragmented pilots to mission-driven transformation. It reframes the role of government from controller or implementer to steward of innovation, aligning policy, financing, regulation, and delivery around shared outcomes.
Drawing on real-world insights, the conversation will unpack three practical strategies for scaling (“make it happen”, “help it happen”, “let it happen”), the multiple roles governments must play, and the core processes of exploring, adapting, and learning.
A dialogue on how public leaders can and should lead not just innovation but systems change.