Exploring Business Models that Leverage mFinance to Support mHealth

sstruble

As a member of the mHealth Alliance team, my current focus is our external events.

Monday, December 5th, 2011 from 2:00pm – 3:00pm

A lot has changed in a year in the world of mHealth and mFinance. At last year’s mHealth Summit, the mFinance track debuted and was very well received. It largely focused on what the possibilities might be at the intersection of mHealth and mFinance . This early focus on the topic was followed by the mHealth Alliance and the World Economic Forum’s Amplifying the Impact: Examining the Intersection of Mobile Health and Mobile Finance report.

For the 2011 mHealth Summit, the Rockefeller Foundation, HIMSS and the mHealth Alliance have taken up the charge of organizing the mFinance track. It will be one of six Themed Tracks that will run concurrently during the first two days of the three day Summit, with all three of the mFinance panels taking place on Monday, December 5th. The mHealth/mFinance track will be divided into three sessions. The first session will be a panel covering critical policy dynamics at the intersection of mHealth and mFinance, followed by a session presenting a variety of business models, and closing with an interactive session exploring technology and platforms for a real case study from Haiti. The last session intends to generate a list of technologies, interventions and models for approaching mHealth/mFinance.

The mHealth Alliance organized the second panel, which will take place between 2:00pm and 3:00pm. “Exploring Business Models that Leverage mFinance to Support mHealth” will provide an overview of different business models and issues they address between the intersection of mHealth and mFinance. An overview of the global landscape will be provided by Menekse Gencer of mPay Connect Consulting complemented by real-world cost-revenue generating case studies. This session aims to illustrate early successes, while highlighting some of the main challenges faced in implementing such joint ventures and to identify what characteristics in markets facilitate growth. In addition to Menekse Gencer’s global perspective on mFinance applications for mHealth, the panel will be moderated by our Executive Director, Patricia Mechael. Other panelists will present case studies of their currently deployed projects in countries like Kenya, Haiti, the Philippines and Madagascar.

I am personally excited for this year’s panels because the conversation has advanced from “we could do this” to “we did this. Here is what happened. What is the next step?”

We look forward to seeing you at the “Exploring Business Models that Leverage mFinance to Support mHealth” session. If you have any questions, please comment below.