On August 13th, R4D had the great pleasure of hosting Muhammad Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, for a discussion on innovative approaches to harnessing the private sector to provide affordable health care to the poor. The session was led by David de Ferranti, President of R4D, and attended by a select group of leaders from the World Bank, IFC, USAID, US State Department, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Brookings Institution, Voxiva, Center for Global Development, and Population Services International, among others.

Professor Yunus presented on Grameen's current portfolio of health projects, highlighting the natural complementarities between micro-credit and health services, and discussed innovative business models that have the potential to play a vital role in poverty alleviation around the world. The group brainstormed areas for potential Grameen growth and investment and offered their insights into possible approaches to effectively harnessing the private sector for social goals.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Sapna Singh Kundra at skundra@resultsfordevelopment.org.