We talk a lot about working from within. We talk a lot about solving problems from the inside out. We’ve even called this paper Inside|Out. But what exactly are we trying to be inside of? It’s simple, really. The aim is to be inside of the space where the problem lies. This means working from within […]
If the question is, “What makes healthcare better?” Then the answer is meeting patients’ needs better. Simple. No one understands these needs better than the people who work with patients every day. So it makes sense that the most effective ideas will come from them. This is inclusive innovation. Here’s how it works in a doctor’s own words. Innovation is not […]
The health innovator KwaZulu-Natal Office of the Premier and BroadReach Healthcare. The innovation Operation Sukuma Sakhe (OSS) is a united front against poverty and illness, bringing Government, municipalities, NGOs and communities together to fight poverty in one of South Africa’s poorest provinces. Winner of the Collaboratively Reimagining Care Award at the 2014 Inclusive Healthcare Innovation Summit The […]
The health innovator Western Cape Department of Health The innovation The eCCR (Electronic Continuity of Care Record) is a software application designed to integrate and digitise medical records for patients being discharged from public health facilities. Winner of the Collaboratively Reimagining Care Award at the 2014 Inclusive Healthcare Innovation Summit The action Groote Schuur Hospital […]
The health innovator Undine ‘Mmatumelo’ Rauter, Gelukspan, North West Province The innovation The Parents Guidance Centre (PGC) at the Gelukspan District Hospital is a “University of Life”, set up in one of the poorest rural areas of the country. The aim is to challenge misperceptions around disability, and empower youth and adults through counselling, therapy, and […]
The health innovator Clare Roberts, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, Cape Town The innovation AfriTox is a digital and online database of toxins and toxic substances, providing easy access to potentially life-saving knowledge in emergencies. Winner of the Transforming the System From the Inside Out Award at the 2014 Inclusive Healthcare Innovation Summit […]
The health innovator: Dr Andrew Ross, Umthombo Youth Development Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal The Innovation The Umthombo Youth Development Foundation addresses skills shortages in rural healthcare, by providing scholarships for promising youngsters who can then return to their communities as qualified healthcare professionals. Winner of the Minding the Gap Award at the 2014 Inclusive Healthcare Innovation Summit […]
The health innovator Gustav Praekelt, Founder and CEO, Praekelt Group, South Africa The innovation The Praekelt Foundation is a non-profit organisation that turns mobile phones into health tools. It focuses on using mobile services, portals, social networks and applications to fight poverty and improve health and wellbeing. Winner of the Inclusive Technology Award at the […]
The health innovator Dr Ashraf Grimwood, Kheth’Impilo CEO The innovation Kheth’Impilo means “Choose Life” in the Nguni languages. This not-for- profit organisation is questing for an AIDS-free generation in our time. How? By using a unique model of patient advocacy with training and mentoring for community healthcare workers. Winner of the Pioneering Approaches Award at […]
All across Africa, social entrepreneurs are using mobile and web-based technology to hold government to account and demand the changes they need. It’s a powerful medium with a lot of potential to contribute towards social change. However, there is much to be done to ensure local ownership and maximise impact. Protests are stirring across South […]
Loren’s thoughts on working from the inside out – when you come from outside the community (or even the country). Indigo Trust is a UK-based foundation. But we believe that the best solutions to Africa’s challenges will be devised by citizens of Africa itself. Local communities have a deeper understanding of context and cultural nuance. They are […]
South Africa may be better-known for the export of diamonds, safaris and the fast-food chain Nando’s, but it’s also the source of a pioneering model of health insurance that’s taking hold around the world. Vitality, part of the Discovery Health Group, has recruited millions of clients in the UK, the US and more recently in […]
Across the planet, every day, nurses, doctors and their colleagues wrestle with the challenge of delivering healthcare to those who most need it. Many agree that to enable improvement, we need to learn what works and support innovation. There’s wide consensus that management and business tools could help. Organisations in low-resource settings could benefit from […]
Service Design 101 Within the public service, and specifically in the healthcare field, simply being more productive and efficiant is no longer enough. In the delivery of healthcare services, there is an ever-increasing demand and need for an improved experience for all users who interact with the system. Enhancing user’s experience from both staff and […]
Making a social innovation work is not simple. But when it does, it might be tempting to believe you can just duplicate the process again and again and it will keep working. But it’s not that simple. Let’s look at the reality of scaling, and some crucial questions you need to ask before trying. […]
It would be great if successful social innovations really could be popped like magic pills or copied and pasted around a country or community. But they can’t. The implementation and scaling of a Social Innovation (SI) needs as much attention as its piloting and design. Here are some important questions about scaling to consider, particularly […]
The capabilities needed to design a social innovation are different from those required to scale it. That’s why the “magic pill” approach doesn’t work and many social innovators need specialised scaling support. That’s one of the reasons for the recent launch of the world’s first Social Franchising Accelerator by the Bertha Centre, in partnership with the […]
Opinion of Professor Gary Marsden, Department of Computer Science, University of Cape Town (UCT) Much has been written about the growth of cellular handset ownership in Africa. It started with wild enthusiasm about development opportunities and access to information, but then it changed to despair over what was seen as a new form of digital colonialism. […]
Digital technology is flying into sci-fi-like places. But often, the innovations developed are inaccessible and unaffordable and therefore out of reach for the 84% of South Africans who rely on public healthcare. Not these ones. Adapted from the 2014 Health Innovator’s Review, compiled by Inclusive Healthcare Innovation, a joint initiative between the […]
Opinion of Professor Wim de Villiers, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town (UCT) For every 20 people in South Africa, there are 13 mobile phones. That’s according to a new report published by the GSMA, the body that represents the world’s mobile operators. That 65.7% penetration rate – the highest in Africa […]
