-
No girl’s period should force her to miss school, and this startup is making sure of that
Twenty years after Bamisaye finished school, Nigerian schoolgirls continue to face the same challenges when they menstruate. So, she decided to do something about it—by creating a startup that provides girls with menstrual hygiene kits in the hope that they'll stay in school.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
Bending the Arc of Humanity – Effective Development of Exponential Technologies to Serve Mankind
Exponential technologies such as big data, the internet of things and artificial intelligence can transform lives in poor countries. But Akhtar Badshah – who led Microsoft’s philanthropic efforts for 10 years – highlights some risks alongside that potential. The main question, he says, is how to bridge the gap between those who quickly benefit from these technologies, and those who are left behind.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise, Technology
-
Press release: Duke’s Community-Based Toilet System Begins Testing in India
The system is designed to reuse water, a huge plus in drought-prone areas. And while it does require a modest power supply, these needs can be met through solar panels or other off-grid solutions. The end goal is a stand-alone system that can help meet the needs of the 2.4 billion people who lack access to safe and effective sanitation.
- Categories
- Health Care, WASH
- Region
- South Asia
-
WASH Away Inequity: Lack of Access to Safe Water is the Most Crippling Obstacle Limiting Human Potential
On World Water Day, consider that 844 million people (nearly 1 in 9) lack a drinking water source that is accessible within a 30-minute round trip from their home. But though this problem can be solved by installing a tap or rain harvesting system, the upfront cost of up to $200 is often prohibitive for people living in poverty. Water.org co-founder and CEO Gary White highlights the power of the poor, when given affordable financing, to provide their own solution to the global water crisis.
- Categories
- Environment, Investing, WASH
-
Bill Gates thinks an infectious disease outbreak could kill 30 million people in the next decade — but the US is cutting efforts to prevent global pandemics
Diseases know no national borders and can jump from one species to another, as happened to with Ebola, MERS, SARS, and various other epidemics in recent years. Because of that, many experts think that we need to be better prepared to conduct global disease surveillance in order to prevent future outbreaks.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- North America
-
A Business Accelerator Puts India’s Urban WASH Challenges Front and Center
India's cities are plagued by multiple water, sanitation and hygiene challenges, from inadequate drinking water to low sewerage network coverage. Private sector innovators and entrepreneurs are tackling these challenges with new technologies, products, services and business models. But their successes are inconsequential compared with the scale of the problem. Niyatee Goyal and Aditya Tejas at Ennovent discuss a USAID-supported platform that's addressing these problems on several fronts – including through a business accelerator.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology, WASH
-
Rwanda becomes first poor country to provide eye care for all
Dr Jennifer Yip, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, explained the vital importance of looking after people’s sight. “Without the resources to access eye care you are significantly more likely to become blind.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- public health
-
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is paying off Nigeria’s $76 million polio debt
The news comes as Nigeria counts down to becoming polio free and completing another year without the discovery of any new cases. No new cases were recorded in 2017. That’s a far cry from 2012 when Nigeria accounted for more than half of all polio cases worldwide.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- public health