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Four Innovative Models Changing Health Care In Africa
In Tanzania, giant pouched rats are trained to sniff out tuberculosis in human sputum samples. Dubbed HeroRATS, the animals can evaluate 40 samples in just seven minutes, equal to what a skilled lab technician can do in a full day. In northern Kenya, health services--including family planning services--are being brought to 36 remote, underserved communities by four-wheel drive vehicles, bicycles, camels and good old-fashioned human feet. And in Malawi, durable e-health hardware--even touch screen computers--that are significantly more robust in harsh environments with erratic power supplies are being manufactured by Malawians.
- Categories
- Health Care
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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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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.
- Categories
- 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
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Malaria fight at a ‘tipping point,’ experts tell Congress
Leading global health experts told Capitol Hill lawmakers today that the fight against malaria is at a turning point, during a hearing on the US’ role in combating malaria globally.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- public health
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Anti-diarrhoea vaccine: Why social innovation is the way ahead for Indian healthcare
After nearly 25 years of work involving multi-institution, multi-country collaboration, India yesterday announced its first locally developed anti-diarrhoea vaccine.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- public health
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How Drug Companies Keep Medicine Out of Reach
The promise of delinking research and development from the actual manufacture of drugs, and why the pharmaceutical industry rejects an idea that could turn neglected diseases into profit
- Categories
- Health Care
- Tags
- public health
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Franchising Family Planning: Janani finds success – and challenges – in rural India
India is the site of a large share of global unmet need for contraception, with up to 23 percent of couples lacking family planning methods in some states. Janani, an NGO, is partnering with the Indian government to address this problem. It offers contraceptives and low-cost, high-quality reproductive health services through a combination of social marketing and franchising. Robert Hecht of Results for Development visited the group and discusses its work.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Tags
- public health
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