Dear Friends,

In recent months, the SAMRIDH initiative has achieved notable success in bolstering healthcare enterprises across India and paving the way for strengthening healthcare systems worldwide. We established a partnership with the G7-endorsed Impact Investment Initiative for Global Health (Triple I for GH), and joined the ‘2023 Concordia Annual Summit', leading a discussion on blended finance for Global Health Security.

While we celebrate these impactful alliances in the realm of healthcare, it is timely to consider the broader implications of impact financing, particularly in relation to climate change. The global healthcare industry is not only affected by climate change but is also a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions. It is imperative to build climate-resilient health systems.

Traditional methods, such as relying solely on public funds and philanthropy, often fall short of meeting the vast resources needed to combat climate change demands. Blended finance offers a solution, merging private funds with public and philanthropic contributions for innovative projects, ensuring shared risks and emphasizing sustainability.

In this edition, we showcase SAMRIDH-backed healthcare solutions that both enhance access for the underserved and contribute to climate change mitigation. With the integration of healthcare advancements with sustainable practices, we not only address immediate needs but also lay the foundation for a resilient and environmentally conscious future.

Himanshu Sikka

Project Director
SAMRIDH,
Technical Support Unit
at IPE Global

Recent
Partnerships

C-CAMP

As part of SAMRIDH, IPE Global has partnered with Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) in Bengaluru, an initiative backed by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. C-CAMP is a dynamic force driving cutting-edge research and innovation in the field of life sciences. It has established state-of-the-art platform technologies to foster entrepreneurship and innovation in the realm of biomedical research and life sciences. Through this collaboration, C-CAMP will extend its support to SAMRIDH in sourcing enterprises that offer innovative solutions to address critical gaps within India’s healthcare ecosystem. Additionally, C-CAMP will assist in reviewing all existing and potential solutions of SAMRIDH-supported entities. This will include identifying environment-friendly solutions to address various challenges, such as energy conservation, waste disposals and repurposing, amongst others.

On September 21, SAMRIDH joined the Impact Investment Initiative for Global Health (Triple I for GH) as a founding member. This landmark initiative was launched by the Japanese Prime Minister H.E. Fumio Kishida at the forum titled “Toward More Resilient, Equitable and Sustainable Universal Health Coverage by 2030”. The event was hosted by the Japan Society in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General
Assembly meetings.

Supported by the G7 Hiroshima Summit, the Triple I for GH initiative aims to attract more private investment in global health, especially in developing countries, addressing the growing healthcare investment gap, accentuated by COVID-19.

At the event, Himanshu Sikka, Project Director of SAMRIDH, underscored the role of innovative financing and collaboration in achieving global health goals. He spotlighted SAMRIDH's success in reaching 43 million people with a $300 million fund, noting that each philanthropic dollar could leverage up to 15 times in commercial value, thereby amplifying investments in healthcare solutions for underserved communities.

Thermal Energy Storage Solutions

Within the healthcare sector, a significant share of global emissions results from inefficient supply chains and inadequate cold chain infrastructure for medical supplies and pharmaceuticals. These systems heavily rely on non-renewable energy sources, contributing to the industry's carbon footprint. Excessive packaging, single-use materials, and reliance on carbon-intensive methods further exacerbate the sector's carbon footprint.

SAMRIDH addresses these challenges by endorsing sustainable healthcare solutions, such as Pluss Advanced Technologies’ Celsure®. This thermal energy storage solution, utilizing phase change material, maintains desired temperatures for up to 120 hours, improving operational efficiency and reducing costs in transporting temperature-sensitive products. Since 2016, the technology has cut 2,500 tons equivalent of CO₂ emissions from refrigerated trucks. SAMRIDH’s support has enabled Pluss Advanced Technologies to double Celsure’s manufacturing, meeting increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Waterless Tech Solutions

In healthcare, waterless technology solutions provide a sustainable approach to address water conservation challenges within the industry. These solutions minimize or eliminate the need for water in various healthcare processes, promoting environmental sustainability, increased efficiency, cost savings, and improved hygiene practices, especially in regions facing water shortages.

SAMRIDH supports Clensta’s waterless products for critical care and ICU patients. These products enable cleansing and disinfection without water, especially benefiting bedridden individuals and ICU patients in low-resource settings. SAMRIDH’s financial assistance enabled Clensta to expand, reaching medical facilities in tier 2 and 3 cities. Also, the waterless solutions have been successfully deployed in the Indian Armed Forces’ hospitals.
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100% Circularity of Plastics

The need to curb plastic waste in India is critical, given that the country generates nearly 4 million tons of plastic waste annually, with 40% to 70% of it not being recycled. There is an urgent need to embrace a circular economy approach, focusing on waste reduction, resource reuse, and material recycling to create a sustainable loop.

SAMRIDH supports Fuzhio’s Pandemic Plastic project that employs pyrolysis to convert dead-end plastics (medical waste) into high-grade fuel. Committed to 100% circularity, Fuzhio, through this project aims to upcycle all such waste into value-added products. With SAMRIDH's backing, its initial goal is to responsibly process a minimum of 2,50,000 kilograms of plastic waste in the first year, marking a significant step towards sustainable waste management.
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Drone-Based Service Delivery

Integration of drones into healthcare delivery systems holds immense potential, providing solutions to the persistent challenges of last-mile delivery and addressing the significant environmental repercussions stemming from conventional transportation methods, which contribute to climate change. SAMRIDH-supported Redwing Labs uses an innovative drone-based service delivery system that significantly reduces the healthcare supply chain’s carbon footprint and medicine wastage. With approximately 70% reduction in carbon emissions compared to traditional road transportation, this solution not only addresses environmental concerns but also enhances the resilience of medical supply chains against climate-induced disruptions.

The Redwing Labs’ drone hub, equipped with 6-8 drones near district hospitals, ensures efficient delivery of over 150 medical products to Community Health Centers (CHCs) and Primary Health Centers (PHCs) in a district. The digitized indenting system minimizes medicine wastage and expiry, streamlining the healthcare delivery process. Covering 30 km in under 30 minutes, these drones prove instrumental in reaching remote and underserved areas, delivering vaccines, blood samples, and essential medicines, exemplifying sustainable and resilient healthcare logistics.
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Remote Monitoring Solutions for Primary Healthcare

As India strives for climate resilience and sustainable healthcare, remote monitoring solutions for primary healthcare emerge as a valuable strategy to achieve both these goals simultaneously. These solutions facilitate proactive and personalized care, reducing the strain on transportation infrastructure and minimizing the environmental impact associated with traditional healthcare   practices.

By supporting remote monitoring and telemedicine solutions, SAMRIDH strives to bring quality and affordable healthcare to people's doorsteps or nearby locations. These initiatives significantly reduce the need for patients to travel to healthcare facilities, making healthcare more accessible, particularly in remote or underserved areas and reducing carbon emissions due to travel.

Notable investments by SAMRIDH include Critical Care Hope’s hub and spoke Tele-ICU monitoring for critical patients, Karma Healthcare’s tech-enabled e-doctor clinics, Krishna Medical Center’s hub and spoke respiratory care centers with mobile testing vans, Neurosynaptic Communications’ telemedicine solution with a ground service kit, Sevamob’s door-step diagnostic services at the last mile, Sukhda’s hub & spoke model for integrated medicine, and Teslon’s tele-ICU with remote monitoring
of   patients.
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Redwing Labs Leads Drone-Based Healthcare Services in Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha

The Arunachal Pradesh government awarded the 2023 Chief Minister's Excellence in Public Administration prize to the Department of Health and Family Welfare for their outstanding work in the 'Drone for Social Impact: Medicines from the Sky' project on 15 August 2023. Spearheaded by SAMRIDH-supported Redwing Labs, the initiative achieved 600+ flights, delivered 8,000+ medical items, and covered 15,000+ kilometers in the East Kameng district in the past 1 year.

Redwing Labs has been enabling last-mile healthcare delivery not only in Arunachal Pradesh but also in the challenging terrains of the Kandhamal district in Odisha. The entity’s expansion in Odisha marks a significant milestone, with Kandhamal becoming the first aspirational district in India and the first to launch a healthcare drone network in the state. This experimental pilot project serves rural and tribal populations in difficult-to-reach blocks by providing diagnostics and on-demand medicine and
vaccine deliveries.

Salcit and Blackfrog Technologies Win at Aarohan Social Innovation Awards 2023

Salcit Technologies and Blackfrog Technologies were honored with the Special Jury Award at the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards 2023, an Infosys Foundation initiative. This award celebrates transformative innovations that drive meaningful change
in society.

Salcit Technologies' "SWASAA" - an AI-based diagnostic tool for respiratory ailments, was championed by SAMRIDH, leading to its deployment in 24 Indian health centers. Currently, SWASAA has been implemented in 11 health facilities, successfully screening over 500 patients.

Blackfrog Technologies' "Emvolio" - a patented rapid cooling solution ensures safe transportation of essential medical items such as vaccines. SAMRIDH's backing facilitated the distribution of 500 Emvolio units. With 411 units already in operation, the device has overseen the administration of 1.2 lakh vaccinations. Emvolio not only meets the IEC 60601 medical device standard but has also achieved the coveted WHO-PQS Certification, opening doors for Blackfrog to supply to international
immunization programs.

Both awards were presented by Mrs. Sudha Murthy, Chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, in August 2023.

Uplift Mutuals Wins JNPA Award for Pioneering Health Program

On its 34th anniversary, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) honored Uplift Mutuals with a Special Award, presented by Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, the Hon'ble Minister of Ports, Shipping, Waterways & Ayush. This accolade celebrates Uplift's unwavering commitment to the health of over 10,000 truck drivers at the JNPA central parking plaza through their Truck Drivers Mutual Health program, "Biradaree".

Uplift's Biradaree program allows communities and families to easily engage in mutual health risk sharing without upfront costs for setting up and overseeing microinsurance. The program also provides health services like insurance, 24x7 teleconsultation, outpatient care in hubs such as Pune, and secondary care guidance. They incentivize safe driving through their insurance model, conduct vaccination drives, and support drivers in COVID-impacted areas.

The program has achieved notable milestones, with the on-ground medical team conducting 8,000+ consultations and mobilizing over 15,000 truck drivers. The call center team has further strengthened these efforts, making 12,000+ outbound calls to ensure communication and care for the truck drivers.

Qure.AI Aids over 2 Million with Its Innovative AI Solution

At the "Innovating Healthcare with AI" event in New Delhi, Qure.AI, a frontrunner in artificial intelligence (AI) healthcare tech, announced that its AI-powered chest X-ray screening solution (qXR) is now being used to improve diagnostics capabilities, benefitting over two million individuals in underserved regions.

The AI-powered solution has played a crucial role in aiding medical professionals in the early detection of anomalies in chest X-rays, enabling swift identification of COVID-19 and TB symptoms among patients.

SAMRIDH has bolstered Qure.ai's screening software, completing 60,000+ screenings across 17 Indian states. Additionally, through SAMRIDH’s support, Qure.AI procured an additional $40 million in equity, optimizing its influence, fostering tech growth, and broadening its global outreach.

SAMRIDH Leads Discourse on Blended Finance at 2023 Concordia Annual Summit

19 September, 2023

In collaboration with Concordia, SAMRIDH hosted a roundtable discussion on "Why Blended Finance Matters for Global Health Security Agenda?" at the 2023 Concordia Annual Summit, in New York. The roundtable brought together organizations including the USAID, WHO Foundation, The Global Fund, UBS, CAP Action, and International Medical Corps. The discussion underscored the need for a holistic and proactive approach to healthcare financing, with a focus on addressing social determinants, fostering collaboration between private and public sectors, and navigating regulatory challenges in the digital health and AI healthcare domains.

Himanshu Sikka Joins Jury Members for the 2023 P3 Impact Awards

19 September, 2023

Himanshu Sikka, Project Director - SAMRIDH and Chief Strategy and Diversification Officer - IPE Global played a significant role at the 2023 P3 Impact Awards. He joined fellow judges in selecting this year's winner and celebrating the strength of public-private partnerships (P3) to solve pressing socio-economic issues. The 2023 P3 Impact Award went to The HealthTech Hub Africa (HTHA). HTHA is a pan-African health technology accelerator that helps governments and start-ups collaborate on data and technology-enabled innovations to strengthen African health systems. HTHA’s dual mission of supporting entrepreneurs and governments in advancing health equity truly
stood out.

Leading Dialogue on Blended Finance for Climate Action at ENTICE Investors' Meet

28 August, 2023

Achin BN Biyani, Head of Fund Mobilization at SAMRIDH, participated in the ENTICE Investors' Meet, which was organized by the Impact Investors Council (IIC) and The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP). Attending the conference on climate finance and innovative financing models aimed at advancing the global development agenda, Mr Biyani discussed the usage of philanthropic capital as catalytic capital and suggested that attracting private sector capital in achieving SDGs is crucial, while the focus must be on creating sustainable and
scalable models.

He underscored that in today’s discourse within the development sector, blended finance promises to amplify impact, rendering solutions that are scalable, sustainable, and far-reaching.

SAMRIDH Participates in AVPN Global Conference 2023

20-22 June, 2023

Achin Biyani, Head of Fund Mobilization and Aanchal Jain, Head of Blended Finance at SAMRIDH joined the AVPN Global Conference 2023. The conference laid emphasis on the power of collaboration, underlining the necessity for varied stakeholders - investors, philanthropists, governments, and non-profit organizations - to unify their resources, skills, and networks in a collective pursuit of sustainable impact.

The conference explored innovative financing models, where blended finance emerged as a promising solution to bridge the prevalent funding gaps. It provided an opportunity to the social investors to network, share and collaborate, and come together to take urgent, courageous, and bold action to address the development challenges and drive positive change.

Fostering Collaboration and Celebrating Shared Progress at USAID Partner’s Meet

9 June, 2023

SAMRIDH participated in a Partners’ Meet organized by the USAID India in New Delhi, which aimed to bring together USAID partners to foster collaboration and chart a course toward achieving collective impact. The event served as a platform to honour the valuable contributions of USAID partners, celebrate the resilience of communities, and acknowledge the unwavering spirit of collaboration that has been instrumental in driving shared progress.

samridh
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The Sustainable Access to Market and Resources for Innovative Delivery of Healthcare (SAMRIDH), is an initiative under USAID/ India and IPE Global’s Flagship project Partnerships for Affordable Healthcare Access and Longevity (PAHAL) to catalyze innovative financing mechanisms to improve healthcare services for India’s most vulnerable populations.

To learn more, visit www.samridhhealth.org

IPE Global House,
B-84, Defence Colony,
New Delhi - 110024

+91 11 4075 5900
+91 11 4075 5901

samridh@ipeglobal.com

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