-
Viewpoint: The Ebola Vaccine We Needed
About 27,000 people in West Africa have been infected with the Ebola virus and more than 11,000 of them have died since the outbreak began last year. Many could have been saved if an effective vaccine had been available. But the world relies on drug companies to create new vaccines and medications, and they have no financial incentive to do so for diseases that mostly affect poor countries. Clearly, the world needs a better mechanism for vaccine development.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Mobile Communications Helping Humanitarian Organizations in Tanzania
Tanzania's rapid uptake of mobile phones and massive investment in rural network coverage is helping disaster and humanitarian organisations in the country speedily disseminate and collect information.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Airtel is losing its fight against Safaricom for Kenya’s fast-growing mobile market
The telecom company is struggling to put a dent in Safaricom’s dominance, but they are getting left behind.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- mobile finance
-
Early Morning Call: How One Entrepreneur Is Taking on the Money Transfer Giants
Telephones have always been a fundamental part of the remittance process, Ahmed Ismail says with a wry laugh; when they ring early in the morning, it tends to be costly.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- remittances
-
GE Commits $14.7 Million to Build Healthcare Skills in East Africa
The global health sector, particularly in the developing countries, faces critical workforce shortages. Africa ranks the lowest in the availability of health personnel. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 12 percent of the world’s population and bears 25 percent of the world’s burden of diseases, but has only three percent of the world’s health workforce.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- impact investing
-
The Disruptors Are Forcing Change in the Remittance Industry
Remittances to Africa have grown rapidly in recent times, and it forms an integral part of the $500 billion global money transfer market. This is because several African nations rely heavily on money sent home by friends and relatives working abroad. Hundreds of Africansare migrating daily to keep growing the influx. But the biggest gainers in this have for long being a few firms, whose near-monopoly costs the continent about $2 billion annually in remittance fees. However, a new breed of companies are causing much needed disruption in the money transfer market and are putting consumers back in control of their money.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- public policy, remittances
-
New $35 million competition will enable greater financial inclusion for smallholder farmers in Africa
The MasterCard Foundation has announced the opening of a US$35 million Scaling Competition under its Fund for Rural Prosperity.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
With a Billion Africans Set to Shop Online, a New Wave of Start-ups Is Looking to Cash In
Africa’s middle class is rising and they have money to spend. About a third of the continent spends between $4 to $20 a day—a group that is expected to grow to 42% by 2060, according to data from the Africa Development Bank (pdf). That’s more than a billion people.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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.