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Viewpoint: Entrepreneurial Dream mEntrepreneurial Dream Made Easy in Pakistan
When 40-year-old Salma Bai wanted to set up her own tea shop in Faisalabad, her main worry was obtaining the capital that was required to start an entrepreneurial venture.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- microfinance
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Mental Health Is a Global Issue – Here’s How Neuroscience Can Cross International Boundaries
Neuroscience holds the key to understanding the brain – and to developing more effective treatments for people with mental health disorders.
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- Health Care
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Innovative Biometric Payment Technology for Ebola Response Workers Launched
The Government of Sierra Leone through the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC) has this week launched a national exercise to implement the revised Hazard Policy aimed at re-classifying Ebola Response Workers (ERWs) based on real risks and further ensuring fiduciary sustainability and compliance.
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- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Unilever Boss Paul Polman Slams Capitalist Obsession with Profit
Paul Polman has criticised business leaders for putting profit ahead of sustainability, arguing that both can exist 'without compromise'.
- Categories
- Environment
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Brazilian Development Bank Loans $100m to Banco do Nordeste do Brasil to Expand Microcredit
Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES), the Brazilian government’s development bank, reportedly has announced that it will loan USD 100 million to Banco do Nordeste do Brasil (BNB), a public bank operating in Brazil’s Northeastern Region. The investment will be made from the microcredit program of BNDES, and BNB will commit an additional BRL 42.8 million (USD 16.6 million) to the effort. The proceeds will be used to fund individual entrepreneurs as well as micro- and small enterprises (MSEs). The interest rate of the wholesale loan will be set according to the country’s Long-term Interest Rate (known as TJLP in portuguese), which currently stands at 5.5 percent, plus 1.1 percent [1].
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Latin America
- Tags
- lending
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Bill Gates Dismisses Criticism of High Prices for Vaccines
Criticising the cost of vaccines could lead to pharmaceutical companies withdrawing research funding, warns Gates, as donors pledge $7.5bn for immunisations of children in poor countries.
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- Health Care
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- vaccines
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Why 2015 Will Be a Game-Changer for Financial Inclusion in India
When it comes to digital finance, India punches below its weight. The 2014 Intermedia Financial Inclusion Insight (FII) Survey of 45,000 Indian adults found that 0.3% of adults use mobile money, compared to 76% in Kenya, 48% in Tanzania, 43% in Uganda, and 22% in Bangladesh.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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The Global Fund in China: Success Beyond the Numbers
In June, 2014, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria completed its support for operations in China.1 The 10-year partnership between China and the Fund measurably improved China's management of the three diseases, but it also created benefits that extend far beyond the metrics usually used to assess public health programmes. These benefits include deeper engagement with civil society organisations, stronger public health systems, and the implementation of innovative approaches for disease management. As China celebrates these achievements, it must also devise a roadmap for continuing its record of success, now that the Fund has left.
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- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- public health