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We are closing in on the Duke Symposium on Scaling Innovations in Global Health! The office is bustling as we begin our final push to attract attendees, prepare our network of innovators for our panels, and organize the final event details.
Attendees including leading innovators within SEAD, senior leadership from our supporting organizations, Duke faculty and students, investors, and health system leaders interested in healthcare innovation will gather on Friday, April 4th to contribute to a thoughtful discussion. We hope that attendees not only leave feeling encouraged but with truly valuable connections. The Symposium includes what promises to be an engaging speech by Chuck Slaughter on creating livelihoods while scaling access to life-changing products, a moderated panel on “smart failure,” a networking reception with our 17 innovators, and much more.
Many of the SEAD innovators participating at this year’s Symposium are traveling from faraway places such as Kenya and India to highlight their innovations, tell their story, and describe the type of support they need to achieve growth to our audience. Each week, leading up to the Symposium we will highlight a small group of innovators participating this year! Round 1 is featured below and introduces innovators delivering care in India – Enjoy!
Arogya Finance: Arogya partners with hospitals and other healthcare providers by providing health loans within 24 hours to patients, approving patients based on a proprietary behavioral test rather than formal system requirements like a bank account or collateral.
Forus Health: Keeping in mind that in India there is only one doctor for every 1720 people, Forus develops affordable technology solutions that can easily be used by a minimally trained technician, thereby making health service accessible and scalable. Forus is also the creator of 3nethra- an intelligent pre-screening ophthalmology device.
Operation ASHA: Around the world, 14 million people suffer from tuberculosis. Operation ASHA created a community based program model that uses local workers in areas with high TB prevalence to set up local treatment centers integrated within existing community resources, like temples and shops. The efficacy of the program is ensured by portable fingerprint identification system that tracks and compiles patient adherence data and alerts health workers to follow-up with a patient within 24 hours of a missed treatment.
SughaVazhvu Healthcare: Driven by their vision to touch a million lives in their pursuit of health equity, SughaVazhvu offers low-cost primary healthcare services through an easy to follow blue print clinic system. This includes a focus on evidence-based primary care, use of a proprietary health management information system, community engagement tactics and highly developed protocols to treat the most common 80+ illnesses.
Swasth India: With over 126,000 patients served Swasth India operates a chain of primary care centers in slum areas with a model that provide a 50% reduction in out of pocket expenses to the patient. Swasth India provides everything in a 150 square foot facility that offers access to a family doctor, rapid diagnostics on site, discounts on drugs, referrals with discounts, in patient day care services and more.
Vaatsalya: Currently operating over 17 hospitals and reaching over 100,000 patients per quarter Vaatsalya has created an efficient, franchise network model that specializes in a specific and limited set of health services that are in high demand in each local community. Vaatsalya was featured on IPIHD’s 2013 Study Tour {read more here}.
Find a full list of our SEAD Innovators here.