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NextThought Monday: Barefoot Power looks to reduce the cost of living off-grid in India
Founded in 2005, Barefoot Power has created affordable lighting and phone charging products tailored for low-income markets – including 20 developing countries across Africa, America and, more recently, China. To ensure that Barefoot Power can rapidly expand within the focus states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh by mid-2013 and make safe and affordable energy options more accessible, the company is focused on a two-pronged distribution approach.
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- Energy
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Celebrity Breasts and Patented Genes: Why the test that may save Angelina Jolie’s life is too expensive for the BoP (Bi-Weekly Checkup – 5/24/13)
Angelina Jolie recently got a preventive double mastectomy, after a genetic test revealed her elevated risk of breast cancer. But breast cancer kills over 450,000 a year, mainly in developing countries. And the genetic test Jolie got costs over $3,000, because a company holds a patent on the genes themselves.
- Categories
- Education, Health Care
- Tags
- public health, research
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Investing in the Local Private Sector to Reduce Maternal Mortality in India
Through our work at Merck for Mothers – Merck’s 10-year, $500 million initiative to curb maternal mortality worldwide – my colleagues and I have met with people from countries across the developing world and seen first-hand the harsh realities many women face during childbirth. We are excited to be partnering with leading organizations to engage private providers and improve the affordability, accessibility, and quality of the maternal health services they offer.
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- Health Care
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‘Extraordinary and Unorthodox’ Ideas Welcome: The competition is back for 2013
Extraordinary and Unorthodox Philanthropy competition is back for 2013 with a $10,000 prize for the best idea that will have a “transformational impact on the lives of the most disadvantaged people.” The contest also offers the “possibility” of up to $100,000 in “implementation funding” to bring the winning idea to reality.
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- Impact Assessment
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How to Build Successful BOP Business Models
Private companies that want to succeed in doing business with markets at the base of the pyramid (BoP) need to know their customers and their spending habits. They demand quality goods and services even though their cash flow is limited and it fluctuates. Several business people who have cracked this code will talk about how they overcame barriers to enter BoP markets at the IDB’s BASE II Forum International on June 6-7 2013 in Medellin, Colombia.
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- Uncategorized
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Paying for Health Emergencies: New research points to practical financial solutions for India’s urban poor
How do Indian families living in urban poverty pay for health care emergencies? A recent Michael & Susan Dell Foundation study of families in five Mumbai slums tries to answer that question. The results point to opportunities for entrepreneurs and established financial service providers to tap this underserved market and have a positive impact on the lives of India’s urban poor.
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- Education, Health Care
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Going Local for Food Security : Winners of GBSN MBA+ Challenge Video Contest also tackle solar power, supply chains
MamaCarts was created because our team saw an opportunity in the breakdown of current systems. By taking a grassroots approach we will be able to create localized ripples in community health and economic stability, one meal at a time. Our next step is to finalize partnerships on the ground and launch a pilot in Kenya.
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- Education, Health Care
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Learning From Mayonnaise: Can the power of marketing boost demand for micronutrients?
Food companies use some truly innovative marketing tactics to get customers to consume more of their products. But if these tactics work for mayonnaise, can they also work for micronutrient-fortified cereal, or food supplements rich in bio-available nutrients? Grant Tudor discusses the role marketing can play in increasing demand for nutrient-rich foods.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Tags
- nutrition, public health
