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The COVID-19 Effect: Why Latin America Needs a Workplace Wellness Revolution – and How Technology Can Enable It
Remote work is growing in Latin America, as it is around the globe, and the COVID-19 crisis has accelerated this shift. But as Greg Mitchell of Angel Ventures explains, working from home combined with the stressors of the pandemic is causing increased anxiety and burnout for workers. He shares how many companies in the region are adopting digital solutions to support employee mental health — from on-demand counseling and monitoring services to apps and chatbots — and discusses the market potential for this burgeoning solution.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Health Care, Technology
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Launching India’s Microinsurance Revolution: How the Sector Can Build Upon Growing Customer Awareness Due to COVID-19
Since the start of COVID-19, customers in low- and middle-income countries like India have had an increased understanding of the value of insurance. But as Moin Qazi explains, typical insurance schemes are often unsuited for the unique needs of this population. He explores how microinsurance can better address these needs, and how providers and policymakers can capitalize on low-income customers' growing awareness of insurance's benefits – while navigating the business challenges of serving these communities.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Health Care
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‘The First Wealth is Health’: Exploring the European Microfinance Award 2021’s Focus on Inclusive Finance and Health Care
For the global poor, health is often the dividing line between the path to prosperity or a slide into destitution. Daniel Rozas and Sam Mendelson of e-MFP explain how precarious incomes and the absence of high-quality universal health care can push low-income households into a deeper cycle of poverty. As a response to the issue, the European Microfinance Award is seeking to highlight initiatives that facilitate access to quality and affordable health care with this year's €100,000 award, which focuses on the topic of "Inclusive Finance and Health Care."
- Categories
- Finance, Health Care
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An Ironic Impact of COVID-19: Will the Pandemic Put Digital Health (Finally) on the Path to Reducing Health Inequalities at Scale in Emerging Markets?
The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a digital health revolution, and Michal Matul and Niti Pall at AXA Emerging Customers say these shifts could help close the healthcare access gap in emerging markets. Based on AXA's work bundling digital health services into its inclusive insurance products across nine countries, they share key lessons on how telemedicine can sustain this momentum and become a viable option for eliminating health inequalities over the long term.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Health Care, Technology
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Activating a Network of 4 Million: Community Health Workers are Key to Fighting COVID-19 – Here’s How They Can Accelerate Financial Inclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the role of community health workers. According to Tanjila Mazumder Drishti, Khondokar Anwar Shadat and Raiya Kishwar Ashraf at BRAC, it has also demonstrated their potential as proponents of financial access — for themselves and the families they serve. They explore a BRAC initiative to enroll its 50,000 health workers in Bangladesh in mobile money, and share how this scalable model could have enormous implications for global financial inclusion.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Health Care
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Addressing COVID-19 While Building Long-Term Capacity: Trends and Opportunities in Africa’s Growing Pharmaceutical Markets
The African pharmaceutical market’s estimated worth is between US $40 – $65 billion, but it remains largely untapped, with a heavy reliance on imports. According to Biodun Awosusi at Health Systems and Development Enterprise, the COVID-19 crisis shows the urgent need to unlock new partnerships and investments to accelerate the local production of medical supplies, medicines and vaccines, which could save lives and create jobs. He explores how Africa’s pharmaceutical sector is responding to the pandemic, and how it could be strengthened for the longer term.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Health Care
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Too Risky Not to Invest: Why Funding Latin America’s Healthcare Sector Should Be a Key Impact Investing Priority
Healthcare enterprises across Latin America are demonstrating both their impact in improving health outcomes, and their value as high-return investments. But as Andrea Bare at ThinkWell and Anna De La Cruz at ADLC Consulting point out, impact investors tend to view these organizations as too risky to finance. They explain why remaining on the sidelines represents another kind of risk: the risk of missing out on a sector full of profitable, impactful investment opportunities – particularly in women’s health.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Health Care, Investing
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Preparing for Life After COVID-19: How India’s Healthcare System Can Better Respond to Future Shocks
India’s public healthcare system was tested by the onset of COVID-19. Now that a vaccine promises to bring the end phase of the pandemic (gradually) into sight, Puneet Khanduja and Mitul Thapliyal at MicroSave (MSC) say it’s time to make the system more robust, to better absorb such shocks in the future. They share research that MSC conducted with low-income households in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Bihar, and make recommendations to improve the healthcare system's preparedness for the next crisis.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Health Care
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