The Swiss Re Foundation Entrepreneurs for Resilience Award recognises initiatives by social entrepreneurs that take innovative approaches to build resilient societies in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Major progress has been made in improving the health of millions of people globally, with higher life expectancy, lower maternal and child mortality and better prevention of prevalent communicable diseases. But in many parts of the world, especially in developing countries, access to quality healthcare remains unaffordable for most people.
Health expenditures push an estimated 100 million people worldwide into extreme poverty every year. Without a financial safety net, a single illness can threaten the health and well-being of entire families. New approaches to financing healthcare are more urgently needed than ever. The Swiss Re Foundation aims to make basic healthcare accessible to at least 1 million more people by 2024. This call for applications is an invitation to social entrepreneurs working in LMICs to make healthcare financially more accessible in low-income communities.The 2023 Entrepreneurs for Resilience Award focuses on innovative, market-based solutions that increase financial access to healthcare in low-income communities, and that:
- increase household resources available for healthcare (e.g. through savings, payment and credit solutions)
- reduce health shocks that can lead to poverty or economic vulnerability after a disease or an accident (e.g. through microinsurance or other “safety nets”)
The three finalists will be awarded with funding up to USD 700 000 and non-financial support from experts across Swiss Re and beyond.
