The Challenge

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS reports that 33.3 million people are estimated to be living with HIV. The region most affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic is Sub-Saharan Africa, with 69 percent of all new HIV infections.

In 2011, 1.7 million people died from AIDS-related causes. Most of these deaths can be prevented through proper access to healthcare treatment and antiretroviral drug therapy. Better ways must be found to deliver care to vulnerable populations and to develop the infrastructure, capacity and systems crucial for rapid healthcare interventions.

The Innovation

BroadReach’s mission is to improve the lives of people around the world using new, innovative approaches to healthcare that combines the best of the private sector and public health.

BroadReach runs one of the largest HIV/AIDS programs in South Africa. Its model identifies and takes advantage of the excess capacity of private practitioners, helping them bring on poor patients who could not otherwise pay. Doctors are paid on a per patient basis for individuals referred by the BroadReach program. In many cases, the private practitioners operate in areas where there is no access to government clinics.

The Impact

BroadReach is extending HIV/AIDS treatment to millions of people, enabling them to lead healthier, longer and more productive lives. BroadReach hopes to create a Medicaid model for South Africa, and with time to expand services across the African continent. The company’s model also stems the drain of talent in the healthcare field by encouraging doctors to build their practices in South Africa.