Maarten Declercq

Here you can find an analysis by Rock Health of the current state of health technology startups and investments.

It is a remarkable insight that everybody on this globe can be linked with anybody else in just six steps. The six degrees of separation comes from advances in a new field of research called Network Science. The foundations of this research traces back hundreds of years ago but recent advances stem from the past 20 years.

Research by the Network Science Center at the West Point militairy academy changed the warfare strategies used in the second Gulf war. Luckily, network science can also be used for the benefit of the planet. Increasingly network thinking is being adopted in many other fields like informatics, microbiology, sociology and medicine.

There is even a charitable SixDegrees.org charitable initiative by Kevin Bacon. This followed the funny trivia game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.

Below you can a series of 3 videos from the documentairy Connected: The Power of Six Degrees. 

Connected: The Power of Six Degrees part 1 

Connected: The Power of Six Degrees part 2

Positive health outcomes require access to medicines and other health supplies, which in turn demands excellent performance from complex health supply chains. The health supply chain workforce therefore has an essential role in achieving global health goals, including the Millennium Development Goals for improving maternal health, reducing child mortality, and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. Rapidly increasing health assistance from multilateral and bilateral donors has significantly benefited health programs, but has also resulted in huge increases in the quantity, value and complexity of supplies flowing through public health supply chains. The health supply chains of middle and low-income countries, however, are often unable to respond reliably to existing demands, putting both health supplies and health outcomes at risk. Limitations on supply chain performance stem, in part, from the lack of a competent, recognized, and empowered health supply chain workforce.

 

The status of the supply chain workforce in low and middle-income country health systems stands in marked contrast to their status in the modern private sector, where supply chain management is recognized as a key strategic function that is as instrumental to institutional success. Many low- and middle-income health systems do not recognize that technical and managerial competencies are necessary for good supply chain management, do not require such competencies for those managing the supply chain, do not provide incentives to retain experienced supply chain staff, and do not involve supply chain managers in relevant decision-making processes. Under these circumstances, health supply chains are unlikely to perform to the standards desired by countries and development partners.

 

A broad group of governments and organizations have therefore united for People That Deliver. This is a joint initiative that will raise the profile of supply chain management as a key strategic function of health systems and promote and support workforce excellence in health supply chain management.

 

Support People That Deliver

The field of mobile health is an emerging multi-headed beast. I takes on a completely different shape depending on the way you look at it. First, the playing rules are far from established. It is still unclear how mobile techology can be effectively used to improve health outcomes. Many of the business concepts that are being developed still need to prove their viability.  Second, there are several types of companies entering this market. Large established companies tweaking existing products or systems by adding a mobile platform. Small companies are developing disruptive technologies that can complety alter the health care landscape. Third, the approach towards mHealth is highly dependant on the kind of market that is being addressed. In developed countries the focus currently seems to lie on the rising uptake of smartphones by both consumers and health care professionals. In developing countries where mobile networks have reached even the most remote areas there are huge possibilities for SMS-based innovations.

The WHO has recently released new guidelines for the treatment of malaria, and the first ever guidance on procuring safe and efficacious anti-malarial medicines. It is estimated that 80 countries have adopted ATCs for first-line treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. WHO emphasizes the importance of treating this deadliest form of the disease with artemisinin-based combination therapies. In the near future this will magnify the international demand for artemisinin.

It is remarkable what keeps a nation together. In many countries the overall culture is a patchwork of regional cultures blended together. Indeed there no such thing as oneness in a way. But on the other hand some events are the display of exactly that oneness. In India people work towards the multitude of festivals with Diwali being the highlight. In China the whole country stampedes to their families during the Chinese New year. During these festivals spirits are truly kindled and you can really feel the massive power that these festivals breathe.