Innovations in Healthcare recognizes the need to implement scalable mental health interventions to reduce the burden of mental disorders across the globe. In response to a WHO report estimatingthe prevalence of mental disorders and the need to address them, we sought out innovators in the field of mental health to join this year’s cohort of innovators.
We also recognize the need to leverage digital technology, which goes beyond the use of mobile and internet technologies, to increase access to healthcare, particularly in underserved populations. Equipped with this understanding, we also sought out innovators in this field, who are increasing access to quality healthcare.
We are excited about the work innovators are doing in both domains, and it was difficult to winnow the list of applicants. We are proud to introduce you to our 2020 cohort of innovators.
Countries: Babylon Health is headquartered in the United Kingdom and serves Rwanda, Canada, Malaysia and China.
Health Sector: Digital Health
Babylon Health is a leader in the digital health sector, serving more than 4.3 million patients. The organization has achieved this success by integrating health services with mobile phones to ensure that anyone can access healthcare regardless of social status and locus. Babylon’s flexible and adaptive business model and use of artificial intelligence have enabled patients to access quality and personalized healthcare from any location. Learn how Babylon Health is increasing access to healthcare by employing digital platforms.
Countries: Dimagi, Inc. is headquartered in the United States of America with additional offices in New Delhi, India and Cape Town, South Africa.
Health Sector: Digital Health
In most vulnerable and remote communities throughout the world, patients rely on Community Health Workers as the first, and sometimes only, source of healthcare. Dimagi’s flagship product, CommCare, is an award-winning, open-source mobile data collection and service delivery platform. It is designed to improve data collection and the quality and efficiency of frontline services in low-resource settings. Review how Commcare works by visiting the company’s website.
Countries: Maternity Foundation is headquartered in Denmark and serves sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.
Health Sector: Digital Health
“No woman should die giving life.” This is Maternity Foundation’s motto. To that end, the organization has developed the Safe Delivery App (SDA) to provide skilled birth attendants with direct and instant access to evidence-based and up-to-date clinical guidelines. It can serve as a training tool both in pre- and in-service training, and equips birth attendants even in the most remote areas with a powerful on-the-job reference tool. To date, the Safe Delivery App has been downloaded by more than 115,000 healthcare workers. Learn more about Maternity Foundation here.
Countries: Maya is headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Health Sector: Digital Health
A lack of access to mental health specialists and a fear of the stigma attached to seeking help often means that individuals in need of care prolong seeking treatment, receive treatment from unqualified individuals, or go straight to the hospital without a consultation or diagnosis, wasting time and money. Maya is helping mental health patients in Bangladesh overcome barriers to access and the stigma associated with mental disorders by connecting them to mental health specialists through an anonymous, web-based platform. Maya currently reaches 1 million monthly active users and supports them in making more informed decisions about their healthcare. Review the Maya app here.
Countries: IRD is headquartered in Singapore with regional offices in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.
Health Sector: Mental Health
Pursukoon Zindagi (peaceful life), IRD Global’s flagship program, builds the capacity of lay health workers to provide counseling and increases service delivery at the community level, as well as the facility level. The program, established in Karachi in 2004, has treated more than 100,000 individuals, and is expanding to serve a greater number of Karachi’s 20 million residents. Learn more about IRD Global’s approach by visiting the company’s website.
Countries: wysa is headquartered in India.
Health Sector: Digital and Mental Health
Wysa leveraged the increased penetration of mobile phones to all segments of society, artificial intelligence and natural language processing technologies to develop a blended and intuitive chatbox. The chatbox provides 24/7 healthcare support for mental health patients. Wysa’s innovative business and operations model has enabled the organization to serve 1.5 million users since 2015. Experience the Wysa app here.
Countries: Holmusk is headquartered in Singapore with offices in New York, North Carolina, London, Malaysia, and Shanghai.
Health Sector: Digital Health, Mental Health, Data Science
Holmusk is a health technology company working to address unmet needs in mental healthcare via data-driven medicine. The organization uses real-world Electronic Health Record data along with its proprietary analytics and Real World Evidence platform to deliver high-quality data to healthcare providers, patients, researchers, payors, and regulators. Holmusk’s digital tools help providers recognize disease progression and provide tailored treatments to their patients. This information, in turn, aids pharmaceutical companies in improving drug discovery and development.
Join us in welcoming the 2020 innovators to the IIH network. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to learn more about the innovators.
Image Credits: Scar1984 (opens in a new window)/ Getty Images