15-Dec-15 Ovitz Corporation, a startup that develops portable devices to check eyes, is set to support developing countries. Kim Joung-yoon, CEO of Ovitz, said “There are 4.5 billion people across the globe in need of visual correction, and 80% of cases are preventable... However, it is actually very difficult for the disadvantaged in developing countries to get proper eye exams." [image: Business Korea]

15-Dec-15 Japan's government will begin developing a new communications service to facilitate the transportation of patients to core hospitals in times of disaster. The move comes after it was found that many core disaster medical centers were not equipped with satellite data communications systems, potentially causing problems if they had to accept patients after a major disaster. [image: The Yomiuri Shimbun]

15-Dec-15 Despite recording gains in recent years, India continues to lag several health indicators such as mortality rates and malnutrition. A paper in The Lancet identifies seven structural problems: 1. A weak primary healthcare; 2. Unequally distributed human resources; 3. Large unregulated private sector; 4. Low public spending; 5. Fragmented information systems; 6. Irrational drug use and spiralling cost; 7. Weak governance and accountability. [image: Hindustan Times]

14-Dec-15 Chinese consumers spent RMB65 bn (USD10 bn) buying medicines, healthcare products and services on Alibaba’s Chinese retail sites in 2014, up 63% from a year earlier. In addition, sales of nursing care services grew 205% on Singles’ Day, while sales of health insurance increased 432% on Alibaba’s sites, including the huge Taobao and Tmall marketplaces. [image: International Supermarket News]

11-Dec-15 Countries worldwide are embarking on health system reforms that move them closer to universal health coverage (UHC), in many cases with a clear pro-poor focus. There is a wealth of guidance on the technical aspects of UHC, such as designing health service packages and developing health financing. However, there is very little practical guidance on how to implement these policies. [image: Medicus Mundi Suisse]