-
Chinese Pharma: A Global Health Game Changer?
The twenty-first century shift in geoeconomic power toward Asia has also spurred a rebalancing in global pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) investment toward emerging economies. China is currently the world’s second-highest investor in R&D and is poised to overtake the United States in R&D spending by 2023. Determined to become a world leader in the pharmaceutical sector, China spent $1.17 billion on promoting life and medical sciences in 2012—nearly ten times its 2004 level of investment. With U.S. funding for medical research on the decline, the surge in Chinese funding has prompted many policymakers to ask if the country's pharmaceutical industry could be the next game changer for global public health and access to medicine (ATM).
- Categories
- Education, Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- research
-
Cellphones for Women in Developing Nations Aid Ascent From Poverty
Here is what life is like for a woman with no bank account in a developing country. She keeps her savings hidden — in pots, under mattresses, in fields. She constantly worries about thieves. She may even worry about her husband taking cash she has budgeted for their children’s needs. Sending money to a family member in another village is risky and can take days. Obtaining a loan in an emergency is often impossible.
- Categories
- Technology
-
Kenyan Startups Tackle Expensive Remittances Through Bitcoin
It’s been declared dead countless times in the West, but in Kenya's start-up scene Bitcoin is all the rage. Kenyan companies have been attracting funding lately to build cheap Bitcoin-based remittance services that some think could give Western Union a run for its money, though others say it’s still got a long way to go.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- remittances
-
The Healthiest (and Least Healthy) Countries in the World
World Health Day is on April 7, and people around the globe are turning their attention to health issues. The global infant mortality rate of 33.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013 has followed a long-term downward trend. Similarly, life expectancy has improved dramatically in recent decades. The improvements were uneven, however, and health conditions continue to vary widely between nations.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Tags
- infrastructure, nutrition
-
Indian Prime Minister Modi Asks Reserve Bank to Prepare 20-Year Financial Inclusion Roadmap
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked the Reserve Bank of India to prepare a 20-year roadmap for deepening financial inclusion in the country.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
-
FICO to Announce New Credit Scoring Formula for High-Risk Consumers in the U.S.
FICO, creator of some of the most widely used credit scores in the U.S., will reportedly announce a new scoring formula designed to help high-risk consumers access credit, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. The model will incorporate consumers' payment history on things like utility, cellphone and cable bills, in addition to how often a consumer changes addresses.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Tags
- credit scoring, lending
-
Crucial Vaccines Out of Reach for Many in Rural India
The Union health ministry's ambitious Mission Indradhanush to immunise children against various diseases faces a major challenge as the Hib vaccine to safeguard the little ones from deadly infections like meningitis, pneumonia and severe throat conditions remains out of the reach in vast areas of the country.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
-
Singapore, Indonesia Lead Growth in Sustainable Investing in Asia
While Asia still lags Europe and the United States in sustainable investing, the market for funds employing such strategies is healthy and expanding rapidly in the region, with Singapore and Indonesia leading the growth.
- Categories
- Environment, Impact Assessment
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- impact investing
Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter, "NextBillion Notes"
Published each Wednesday, our e-newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with a selection of news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage — and regular conference ticket giveaways.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.