Pakistani-based, digital health venture doctHERs has been selected as one of the world’s most impactful, early-stage ventures by Fortune magazine which released its first-ever, Impact 20 list today. Asia’s first ever digital health venture, doctHERs is the only Asian company to be ranked #5 in the Fortune 500 Impact 20 list.
According to Fortune, the criteria for selection to the Impact 20 include potential for impact, business viability, track record, innovation & leadership and “companies making measurable progress addressing social issues as part of their core strategy.”
Today’s announcement builds on an exceptional year for doctHERs which has seen a 230% increase in year-on-year profits, a rapidly growing roster of corporate clients, key executive appointments and market momentum in the white-hot areas of telemedicine, digital diagnostics and gender-inclusive, women’s entrepreneurship.
Cofounder & Executive Chairman, Dr. Asher Hasan commented:
Our inclusion in Fortune’s Impact 20 is a reflection of the deep commitment our employees, our female doctors and our female frontline health workers have towards promoting the health and wellbeing, gender equality and socioeconomic opportunity of women in the communities we serve across Pakistan. These frontline change-makers will continue to play an invaluable role in scaling impact across the emerging world.
doctHERs startup from Pakistan wins International competition at World Health Summit in Berlin
Source: The News International
US-based Fortune Magazine named #doctHERs in the Fortune Impact 20. doctHERs is the only Asian-based company to have made the list.
In collaboration with Unilever , doctHERs has impacted more than 1 million girls and women across more than 1,750 villages across Pakistan.
In 2019, doctHERs was also recognised by the Million Lives Club, a consortium of leading impact investors including DFID, USAID, Grand Challenges Canada, DFAT, GIZ and Global Innovation Fund, for impacting over 1 Million lives across Pakistan.
Current financiers of doctHERs include Gray Matters Capital, Unilever, Philips, Pfizer Foundation, Levis Strauss Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada and the Punjab Population Innovation Fund.
In 2020-21, doctHERs is expanding its collaboration with Unilever & FCDO to deploy an additional 100 ‘Guddi Baji’ frontline health workers across villages and towns in Sind, KPK and Punjab, Pakistan.
These multipurpose, last-mile retailers also provide their communities with access to essential health products and hygiene supplies, digital financial services and linkages to a global network of over 2000 female doctors, therapists, nutritionists and licensed female pharmacists.
What is doctHERs
doctHERs uses a digital health platform to match the under utilised capacity of female healthcare providers. Prior to doctHERs, these women were excluded from the health workforce due to sociocultural barriers, unsafe work environments or rigid health systems that have not adapted to the agile workforce 2.0 needs of contemporary, working women.
doctHERs provides digital health & wellness services to workers and their families affiliated with large corporations, corporate value chains, academia and the public sector. By 2030, doctHERs aims to impact at least 30 million lives, while reintegrating over 30,000 healthcare providers (HCPs) including doctors, pharmacists, therapists, nutritionists, nurses, midwives and paramedics into the global health workforce (30 by ‘30).
About Fortune
Fortune is a leading, American, multinational business magazine headquartered in New York City. It is globally recognised for its Fortune 500 ranking of the world’s top companies. Fortune is published by Fortune Media Group Holdings and was founded by Henry Luce in 1929.
What are your thoughts on this initiative? Share in the comments below.
Stay tuned for more interesting articles and updates!
