BroadReach uses existing healthcare infrastructure in South Africa to provide efficient treatment for HIV/AIDS.
Investment Stories
The Challenge
- AIDS most frequently strikes at the most productive members of society, those from 15-45 years old who are critical to both economic development and family stability.
- 43 million people are currently infected with HIV/AIDS; 28 million have already died, and 8,500 more die every day. With 14,000 new infections each day, there will be potentially 100 million people with HIV/AIDS by 2010.
- All of these deaths are preventable – and most are avoidable with proper access to healthcare treatment and antiretroviral drug therapy. Better ways must be found to deliver care to vulnerable populations and to develop the infrastructure, capacity, and supporting systems crucial for rapid healthcare interventions.
The Innovation
- BroadReach runs one of the largest HIV/AIDS programs for the poor in South Africa, where it provides access to consistent and quality healthcare by working with private health practitioners across the country.
- BroadReach’s model helps to identify and take advantage of excess capacity, enabling private practitioners to take on poor patients who could not otherwise pay, much like Medicaid works in the US.
- Doctors are paid on a per patient basis for individuals referred by the BroadReach program. In many cases, the private practitioners operate in areas where there is no access to government clinics.
The Impact
- By developing and deploying scalable, paradigm-shifting models, BroadReach is extending HIV/AIDS treatment to millions of people, enabling them and those who depend on them to lead healthier, longer, and more productive lives.
- BroadReach hopes to create a Medicaid model for South Africa, and to expand its services across the continent.
- The company’s model also encourages doctors to stay in-country and build out their practices, stemming the brain drain of talent in the healthcare field away from regions in greatest need of medical professionals.