A Dubai-based bank announced a job opening for South Asian applicants, where the copious number of Pakistani applications exceeded expectations, while the number of Indian applicants was… well, it did not exist. There was not a single Indian that wanted to work at that ‘bling-bling’ Dubai job. Why? Because the Indian youth does not need […]
Heartfile.org – The Innovative Amazon.com of Healthcare Financing
When in 1995 entrepreneur Jeff Bezos launched Amazon.com from his garage in Seattle (USA), fewer than 1 in 200 people worldwide had internet access and online shopping was just a year old. Today, Bezos’ innovative website has made Amazon.com the world’s largest online retailer, with $60 billion in annual sales – $170 million a day. […]
The role of the private sector in moving towards universal coverage
Meet Majid. This 15 year old boy is the primary earner for his family in Pakistan. Majid was hit by a tractor, leaving him out of a job, with no money for an operation, and a starving family. More than 120 million people in Pakistan pay out of pocket for needed health care services. As […]
‘Ulama’ as Agents of Social Change
Perhaps one of the most challenging public health interventions in Pakistan is building awareness of healthy behaviors and its country-wide promotion, especially when it requires accessing women in rural areas of Pakistan. Some of the common challenges faced in this aspect include the vast diversity of religious sects, low literacy rate, deteriorating security situation, elitist […]
Universal health coverage milestones during 2012
The global movement towards universal health coverage (UHC) inspired a series of landmark events across the world during 2012. The objective of UHC is to ensure that people are able to access high-quality services without risking financial ruin resulting from catastrophic spending on health. The Pakistan situation with regard to UHC needs to be viewed […]