NextBillion.net | Development Through Enterprise

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NextBillion Health Care is a blog and a news resource dedicated to addressing the myriad challenges and solutions in delivering health care to the base of the pyramid. The site, part of the NextBillion network, focuses on the best practices of social enterprises, health practitioners, large health systems, NGOs and multinational players, such as drug companies, supply chain systems and technology developers. It also examines public policy solutions for improving the health outcomes for low-income people around the world.

Sponsored by NextBillion’s Content Partner, Anavo Global LLC, NextBillion Health Care explores new thinking and action that ultimately improves people’s health, while doing so in a financially sustainable way.

Here are just a few of our main topic areas:

Rural health care delivery
Urban challenges
Innovative business models that improve access, affordability and sustainability.
Public-private partnerships
Supply chain management and efficiency
Improvements in patient care, vaccinations, procedures, and billing
Improvements in health care insurance
Management practices for social enterprises, e.g. retaining strong talent, attracting investors/financing, overall tips and tactics for managing an enterprise focused on health care
Technology: Diagnostic tools that improve health outcomes.

With NextBillion Health Care, our goal is to highlight both market-based approaches as they relate to driving change within large-scale institutions. In other words, it’s not one model versus the other, but how to bring the efficiency of markets and the scale of public systems to affect the most people.

James Militzer serves as editor for the new blog. James is an accomplished writer and editor, and has been immersed in the health care system as a professional translator for several years. He can be reached via email: jamesmil@umich.edu.

Follow NextBillion Health Care on Twitter @NextBillionHC.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Talking Condoms and Global Health: Firdaus Kharas' innovative approach to health behavior change

By James Militzer — WDI

Behavior change is often called the holy grail of global health promotion. Everyone recognizes its promise in preventing illnesses and injuries, yet it is vastly difficult to accomplish - particularly on a global scale. But acclaimed producer/director Firdaus Kharas believes he’s found an effective approach, which he describes in this interview (with video).

Monday, June 17, 2013

Geeks vs. Quacks: How Swasth Health Centers is out-competing informal providers

By Rose Reis

In India, trained doctors face stiff competition from informal providers, whose services are affordable and popular despite their lack of qualifications. But in Mumbai, Swasth Health Centers is out-competing the quacks, using technology and management savvy to offer superior services at surprisingly low prices. CHMI's Rose Reis visited them to see how they're doing it.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Tastes Like Chicken (But it's Not): Taste bud re-education and other innovative solutions to malnutrition

By Eveline

Modern society has lost a vital connection to the earth. Few of us touch the soil, and we've even forgotten how wholesome nutrients taste. Our taste buds have been desensitized by excessive salt, sugar and additives, contributing to poor nutrition and health problems. But some innovators are tackling these issues, promoting a modern agricultural society and a return to traditional foods.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

A Working Model for Health Insurance for the Poor: Learning from the early success of India’s RSBY

By Victoria Fan

Five years ago, Anil Swarup and his team started India’s health insurance program for the poor – Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY). Since then, it has become an increasingly important vehicle of social protection, providing subsidized health insurance to over 110 million people. In this post and related essay, Victoria Fan explores some key features of RSBY’s early success.

Saturday, June 08, 2013

From Cataracts to Killer Monkeys: The growing need for surgery at the BoP (Bi-Weekly Checkup, 6/8/13)

By James Militzer — WDI

Right now, over 2 billion people lack access to adequate surgical services, and an estimated 56 million people across Africa are in need of surgical treatment. What's more, the need for surgery may be poised to expand significantly. Is the global health community responding? We explore the issue in our Bi-Weekly Checkup.