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Seven Approaches to Agent Management: A new paper documents the variety of ways that digital finance providers assemble and manage agent networks
Agent networks are the main service touch points for most digital finance customers, and they’re probably the most challenging and costly element of the value chain. The authors of a new paper, Designing Successful Distribution Strategies for Digital Money, discuss how digital finance service providers in various regions have assembled and managed their agent networks.
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 - Education
 
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When ‘Wonder Drugs’ Aren’t Enough: Viral hepatitis reaches watershed moment, but who will pay?
Debate rages about what constitutes fair pricing practices for a lifesaving drug that could save millions of people – and how to balance affordability and access with sustained investment in R&D, company profits and responsiveness to stakeholders including patients, health care providers, payers and shareholders.
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 - Health Care
 
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NexThought Monday – Tapping the Potential of the World’s Largest Minority: Two keys to boosting employment for 70 million disabled people in India
After spending three months analyzing ongoing efforts to increase employment for people with disabilities at the base of the pyramid in India, the author saw two main problems: no collective goals have been established and there’s a lack of transparent impact data demonstrating the economic and social outcomes.
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 - Education, Impact Assessment
 
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Weekly Roundup 7/25/15: ‘Worm Wars’ and other conflicts from the past week
Maybe it’s the heat, but as we approach the dog days of summer, people seem to be in a fighting mood. This week featured plenty of conflict, involving companies, nonprofits, politicians – and even researchers. Grab some popcorn as we cover the hostilities – and compile some memorable tweets – in this Roundup.
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 - Education, Health Care
 
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Calling All Innovators: Nominate a ‘ridiculously awesome’ health care entrepreneur for the Innovations in Healthcare network by Aug. 14
Innovations in Healthcare (formerly IPIHD) is looking for health care entrepreneurs to join its network, which currently includes 55 innovators operating in 47 countries and serving more than 7 million people. A full range of health care delivery is included – rural and urban clinics, specialty hospitals, anti-counterfeiting devices, telemedicine technologies and safe birthing kits.
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 - Education, Health Care
 
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The Financial Power of the Group: How demand aggregation can enable consumer financing for renewable energy products
Salt farmers in Northern India use diesel pumps to help them harvest salt from sea water. They run these pumps for over 16 hours a day, which means up to 60 percent of their income is spent on fuel costs. Solar pumps could substantially increase their income, so Dalberg explored financing options that could make these pumps accessible. They discuss demand aggregation, one particularly promising solution.
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 - Agriculture, Energy
 
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June’s Most Popular Posts on NextBillion: From microfinance ‘haters’ to M-PESA challengers
Our most-read and most-shared posts for the month of June included an impassioned riposte in the microfinance debate, an analysis of changes in Kenya’s world-leading mobile money market, and appreciation for the value of health microinsurance.
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 - Health Care
 
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Feel Better Now, Pay Later: AfriMedico founders are hoping an ancient Japanese drug sales system will work in Africa
Okigusuri is a drug sales system that worked for centuries in Japan and has been successfully exported to other Asian countries. The founders of AfriMedico are betting the system – in which households are given a box of medicine, and they pay only for what they use – will work in Africa, too.
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 - Health Care, Social Enterprise
 
 









