The HIE module is intended for IHTM students who want to drive change and innovation in small or larger organisations (non-profit, for profit or social profit). The module focuses on how to improve the health and wellbeing of patients and populations by adopting innovation in a constrained financial environment. The module covers the core elements needed in a business plan so that students can develop their plans as the course progresses.
The five presentations were:
- Poop solutions – anaerobic biodigester toilets for cleaner communities and healthier lives in the slums of Ghana.
- Advancing Neuroimaging Access with Portable MRI Technology in Kampala, Uganda. B.R.A.I.N H.U.B.
- VacxIn - At home HPV vaccination solutions in India targeting women between 18 and 30 years old.
- Mercy - Argentina’s first digital mental health platform, allowing patients to connect with psychologists with an emphasis on confidentiality, quality and convenience.
- Kronicare Solutions – B2B solution for chronic disease management supporting private clinics in Nigeria.
Students were asked to use the existing evidence base (peer reviewed and grey literature) to describe the problem and proposed solution (and unfair advantage if there was one). The presentation and subsequent discussion focused on the strategic choices made, the customer segments and unique value proposition as well as the operational design choices. The aim of the business plan was to find financially sustainable solutions that could be funded by a combination of donors, government and private capital.
Speaking about the students’ ideas and presentations, Professor Bruno Holthof, who leads the HIE module for IHTM, said,
We teach our students how to perform quantitative and qualitative research, design, implement and evaluate health care interventions, and apply the insights from this research to influence policies and strengthen health care systems around the world. The HIE module focuses on how we can create sustainable business models within resource constrained environments to solve global health problems. The creativity and ambition that this year’s students displayed gives me great confidence that our graduates will become very influential leaders in health.”
The panel was made up of:
Bruno Holthof – Visiting Professor of Health Innovation, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford
Dirk Horemans - Program Officer in the Integrated Health Services department, WHO
Peter Drobac - Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
Proochista Ariana – Associate Professor and IHTM Course Director, University of Oxford
Watu Wamae – Head of Innovation, Africa Oxford Initiative