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Novel R&D tool to unravel genetic diseases in Africa
A new research tool — genomics array — developed specifically for genomic and epidemiological research in Africa could enable researchers efficiently look at genetic diversity of African populations.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Is Microcredit a Vaccine or an Antibiotic?
In his third post in a series, Timothy Ogden asks if microcredit is a vaccine or an antibiotic. In other words, does it work best when delivered at the right dose and at the right moment, or when it's made available to an entire population? Thinking through that frame, he believes, can help social investors clarify their theory of change and guide what areas of microcredit innovation to invest in.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
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Arclight device ‘could save sight of millions’
The Arclight, a cheap, solar-powered ophthalmoscope, was designed by researchers at St Andrews University. It is aimed at helping health workers in poorer countries to detect the signs of blindness.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Europe & Eurasia
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The Hidden Impact of Microcredit: Three Under-recognized Ways the Industry Can Help Emerging Markets
Microcredit has historically been evaluated – and often found lacking – on the terms that the industry was built on: raising the income, investment and consumption of clients. But, according to Timothy Ogden, there are other ways that microfinance may have had an impact, including helping to build institutions, training people in the technology of management, and strengthening civil society.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
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Measuring Impact With Meaning: 50 Funds That Are Best For The World
Some players in the market, in seeking a simple solution, have settled on measuring impact through a few metrics. But the oversimplification of how to do so creates a risk that impact investing becomes meaningless to the mainstream capital markets. One solution is highlighted in BLab's recently released inaugural Best for the World Funds list, which includes 50 fund managers who are doing impact management with meaning.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
- Tags
- impact investing, research
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Merck’s Vaccine Won’t Be the End of Ebola
An Ebola vaccine that has been in development for 15 years has been shown in a clinical trial to be up to 100 percent effective at preventing the deadly virus. But it won’t stop sporadic cases from popping up, nor will it be immediately available to some who are most vulnerable to the virus.
- Categories
- Health Care
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Global Health Interventions Need to Hit the Ground Running. Here’s Some Pre-Race Help.
A recent white paper describes a “six-month window” in which global health interventions need to take shape, or else most of them are doomed. To help get things right from the start, and ultimately achieve scale, USAID’s Center for Accelerating Innovation and Impact recently published “Ready, Set, Launch: A Country-Level Launch Planning Guide for Global Health Innovations.”
- Categories
- Health Care
- Tags
- innovation, research, scale
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Finding the Right Last-Mile Distribution Model
Experiments in bringing market-driven solutions to base-of-the-pyramid customers are often done in isolation, with little sharing of what works and what doesn’t. To address this knowledge gap, MIT D-Lab created the Practical Impact Alliance, which brings together leaders from diverse organizations working in inclusive business. The group has just released a 43-page guide called Best Practices for BoP Door-to-Door Distribution.
- Categories
- Education
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