When small ideas spark big change — An update on the Sandoz Healthcare Access Challenge 2017 (2 min read)
The Sandoz Healthcare Access Challenge (HACk) goes “beyond the pill” in supporting mobile and digital innovation driven by passionate healthcare entrepreneurs.
Oct 16, 2018
Whilst great strides are being made globally to improve access to healthcare, access challenges vary hugely across geographies and communities. That’s one reason why Sandoz has taken action with the Sandoz Healthcare Access Challenge (HACk), a global competition that invites inspirational ideas with the potential to complement – or even positively disrupt – established approaches to healthcare access, offering fast and effective solutions to improve the lives of people in local communities.
From idealists to entrepreneurs The competition looks for people who have spotted a health access challenge in their local community, and have an idea how to solve it using digital technology. Sandoz will work with shortlisted entrants to incubate and enhance their ideas to create practical, scalable solutions to help improve people’s lives in communities around the world. “We were very inspired by the healthcare access pioneers we found through the 2017 competition,” says Fiona Cook, Senior Manager Global Corporate Responsibility Programs, who coordinates the Sandoz HACk. “We believe there is a lot of value in backing their efforts and helping to make their ideas a reality.”
While the 2017 Sandoz HACk winners share a passion for improving access to healthcare, they all focus on practical solutions that improve lives in their local communities. In Ghana, Go Pharma links pharmacists with medical counter assistants in rural facilities or clinics. Sali, in the Philippines, gives app-based instructions on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). And in the Maldives, the platform Blood Drive is creating a community of blood donors to support people with Thalassemia, who need regular transfusions. In the past year, the winners have made significant progress.
The power of digital transformation The vast power of digital technologies has the potential to transform healthcare and revolutionize access challenges worldwide, particularly in areas where practical barriers restrict access to healthcare capacity, medicines and information. This is why Sandoz is ‘Leveraging Digital Technologies to Solve Healthcare Access Challenges’ in this year’s HACk.
