Boehringer competition to transform healthcare

Singapore: Boehringer Ingelheim and Ashoka Changemakers, US-based innovation supporting community, are launching 'Transforming Health Systems: Gamechanging Business Models', an online competition to discover innovative business models that could be used to solve critical problems in health systems around the world.

Transforming Health Systems also seeks business models that confront problems in emerging markets where governments, businesses, and non-profits often lack the resources or commitment to serve communities in need. Transforming Health Systems was built on key insights gained from the first Making More Health competition launched by Boehringer Ingelheim and Ashoka Changemakers.

Winners will receive awards totaling $85,000 along with support from Boehringer Ingelheim to help advance their business models. They will be matched with Boehringer Ingelheim's local country offices, and will be able to explore the potential for partnerships or further on-going support. All individuals, organizations or partnerships are eligible to enter from now until April 10, 2013, at www.changemakers.com/healthbiz.

"Traditional healthcare systems in mature markets are not designed to encourage enough collaboration between key players, such as care providers, insurance companies, and government organizations," said Mr Jean Scheftsik de Szolnok, VP, Southern Europe, Boehringer Ingelheim and chairman of the Making More Health steering committee. "Often, the systems' misaligned incentives fail to produce real value for patients and society. Innovative business models are urgently needed to solve this issue."

Ashoka's president Ms Diana Wells said that. "We have found that in tackling health from a systems level, most of our social entrepreneurs are finding ways to, deliver unlikely allies to solve the healthcare practitioner shortage or are innovating new delivery systems, which can reach low income populations in both urban and rural areas."