The Center for Health Market Innovations – Using Data to Improve Health Market Performance

Story bubbles on world map
Source: Ashoka

The Center for Health Market Innovations, an initiative coordinated by Results for Development, is, in their own words, “a global network of partners that seeks to improve the functioning of health markets in developing countries with large numbers of private health care providers.”  The activities of CHMI aim to bridge the existing information gaps about Health Market Innovations and to diffuse promising programs so that lessons can be learned, partnerships formed, and innovative initiatives scaled. They focus on information, analysis, and the linkages between different stakeholders.

One of their tools I find particularly fascinating is the mapping of the health innovations around the world. By clicking on the map you can see what programs are taking place where in the world. The different layers they have also enabled a user to plot different metrics on the map as they look for programs around the world. Not only is there a map, but each of the data points can accessible information behind it. Are you interested in the program type? the health focus? or the target population? It is all there. Including background information, how the program is implemented, secondary effects from the program, etc. It is all there in a very easy to use format.

Last week, CHMI announced the publication of the first case study published by a CHMI partner in India, ACCESS Health International. Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre is the topic if the case study and you can read the reasoning behind choosing this case here, which includes links to the case itself.

In addition to the mapping and the case studies, a user can search for various health market innovations programs by health focus, geography, and program type, making the site very useful for practitioners, policy makers, entrepreneurs, specialists, researchers, etc. CHMI has documented 470 programs in 105 countries with an additional 193 programs in the pipeline. If you have a suggestion for programs that should be part of the CHMI database, you can suggest programs to be highlighted.

Many initiatives try to act as aggregators of data and information for a field. I think the CHMI approach of having partners on the ground, focusing on a specific niche, and using various user-friendly tools to make the information accessible to users makes the Center an extremely valuable resource. I look forward to seeing how it continues to grow.