India bears the largest share of neonatal and child deaths, and the second-largest share of maternal deaths globally. While the country has made considerable progress in reducing mortality rates, it will have to significantly accelerate progress over the next 10 years to reach the targets for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related to preventing neonatal and maternal deaths. A major impediment to this goal is the disparate performance of the Indian primary health-care system across geographies and providers.

Social entrepreneurs seeking to contribute to sustained impact at meaningful scale in the health sector should consider the advantages of partnering with the Indian government at the district, state, and national levels.

The following three case studies provide a window into different government-partnership models that emerged from this experience. The lessons that emerged from these efforts can be instructive for funding agencies, NGOs, researchers, the private sector, and social innovators interested in scaling health innovation through the public sector, in India, and in other low- and middle-income countries.

  1. Lesson One: Align User-Driven Design with Government Interests
  2. Lesson Two: Adapt Without Losing Effectiveness
  3. Lesson Three: Cultivate Credibility

Read the full article about creating better health care in India by Kevin T. Pepper, Janine Schooley, Sara Chamberlain, Indrajit Chaudhuri, Sridhar Srikantiah, and Gary L. Darmstadt at Stanford Social Innovation Review.