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Centre mulls over plan to stop ASHAs from distributing condoms
Faced with angry Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) refusing to distribute repackaged condoms called Asha Nirodh given free under the national reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, the Union health ministry is exploring other distribution options, which may include vending machines.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- public health
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Health ministry seeks help from private sector to curb over-population
Perturbed over population explosion, the Union Health Ministry has reached out to the private sector for dispensing family planning services in poor performing states. Starting with high population areas, the National Population Stabilisation Fund, under the Union Health Ministry, has invited an Expression of Interest from qualified and experienced agencies for implementing family planning services.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
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Singapore Government Joins IBM to Create Blockchain Innovation Center
Computing giant IBM has revealed that the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) are collaborating with it to establish its first Center for Blockchain Innovation in the country. The Innovation Center is expected to involve both global banks and fintech startups and to develop a number of technology pilots for the finance and trade industries, built on the Linux Foundation Hyperledger platform.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- blockchain, fintech
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Social entrepreneur and Magsaysay Award winner Anshu Gupta on trash-based parallel economy
In India, he is simply known as the Clothing Man. He is a social entrepreneur and the recipient of prestigious Ramon Magsaysay. In 1998, Anshu Gupta left his corporate job and founded GOONJ with a mission to make clothing a matter of concern and to bring it among the list of subjects for the development sector.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
- Region
- South Asia
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More Cambodians struggling to repay MFI loans
Banking industry insiders expressed concern yesterday over a spike in the amount of delinquent debts reported by microfinance institutions (MFIs) across the Kingdom, which they attributed to farmers struggling to repay their loans after adverse weather conditions affected their crops.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- microfinance
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Paytm offers unsecured loans to small businesses, Mobikwik to follow suit
Paytm wants to prise the vice-like grip of banks away from local moneylenders over the loan business. The mobile wallet company, which aspires to become a digital bank, has started offering unsecured loans to merchants such as the neighbourhood grocer or the mobile recharge shop or the auto driver, who use the wallet to accept offline payments.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments
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M-Pesa enabling transactions for self-help groups in West Bengal, India
Vodafone India has tied-up with West Bengal State Rural Livelihood Mission (WBSRLM) to empower women of Self Help Group (SHG), as an initiative of financial inclusion. The partnership facilitates instant deposits to the bank account of the SHGs by the SHG, using the mobile wallet M-Pesa.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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India should reject efforts weakening access to generic drugs: MSF
Describing India's pharmaceutical sector a vital life-line for millions of people in developing countries, an international relief organisation on Thursday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to cave in to corporate pressure and support people's access to generic medicines to combat deadly diseases like AIDS.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
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