Abstract

Impact and Return: The Potential Value of Developing Country Markets

Amy Adelberger, Founder and CEO, Global Impact Advisors

Developing country markets in low and lower middle income countries continue to face high rates of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. As incomes rise, the ratio of communicable to non-communicable disease lowers. However, as populations grow, and grow quickly, both communicable and non-communicable diseases remain a threat to the development of the poorest countries and their ability to achieve social and economic development goals. In the last 50 years, the world’s population has more than doubled. While global population growth rate is expected to slow, certain regions of the world, such as Africa, still have some of the highest population growth rates. This population growth, in conjunction with high disease burdens and low income status, creates an opportunity to develop the necessary tools and approaches to address the world’s most pressing global health problems. However, solutions to these problems cannot simply be developed in the first world and transported to the developing world. Entrepreneurs, industry, and academics must take into consideration the market and the ecosystem for which they are developing the product and focus on an end-to-end solution that envisions faster, better, and less expensive diagnosis and prompt treatment for all. Barriers do exist to accessing the lower income markets, but they are not insurmountable. Amy will discuss the opportunities for and the barriers to developing diagnostics for a global health market. She will provide practical advice on how to approach development of a diagnostic for the global health market, including focusing on funding and partnerships.