Healthcare

GLOBAL INVESTOR 2.12 Contents — 05
Healthcare
09
From germs to genes
In the last two centuries, the application of reason and advances
in technology have taken the field of medicine from an art form
to a science. Bernardino Fantini reports on how researchers are
tackling the complex causal chain of diseases.
14
Private enterprise for public health
Private enterprise is contributing a growing share toward public
health as traditional models of healthcare do not appear capable
of delivering as they once did. David E. Bloom and Michael Chu
outline how private investors, entrepreneurs and the public
sector can work together to improve healthcare.
17
A prescription for growth
The pharmaceutical industry looks poised for a growth spurt
thanks to advances in molecular biology, genomics, biotech,
and bioinformatics, and according to Thomas C. Kaufmann,
these fields are yielding tailored treatments that promise
to be substantially more effective.
20
The “virtual” patient
Researchers are working toward developing the concept of
virtual patients. Denis Hochstrasser and Hans Lehrach say
these may be computer-simulated individuals, but their
conditions and treatments are very much part of the real world.
24
The genomic doctor is in
The human genome was first sequenced almost ten years
ago, but the work to interpret a code that is some three billion
“letters” long is just beginning. Eric D. Green explains.
26
The heart factory
Compassion and respect are the bywords where millions live in
poverty. As Bernard Imhasly discovers, that doesn’t mean they
don’t have access to first-class healthcare.
32
eHealth for all
Mobile telephony technology is assisting healthcare professionals
to deliver their services to remote and underserved regions in
Africa, says S. Yunkap Kwankam. He adds that information and
communications technology have transformed healthcare.
35
Japanese lessons
Healthcare expenditures have an inherent tendency to escalate.
However, Naoki Ikegami tells us that Japan has tackled the
issue of how to finance healthcare through its single-payment
system, which aims to contain costs.
38
Do-it-yourself tools for health
In resource-poor regions around the world, necessity truly is
the mother of invention. As José Gómez-Márquez reports,
when it comes to medical care, the dearth of appropriate medical
technologies in these areas has fostered the rise of ingenious
do-it-yourself tool design.
41
The neglected cousin
The rapid sociological and economic changes in India are
stressors that are increasingly posing a challenge to mental
health in that country. Mental health has, until recently, been
a neglected issue in India say Ajay Mahal and Victoria Fan.
44
Getting back to work
For those who have suffered from mental illness, reintegrating
into the workforce can be a daunting proposition. Deborah Wan
Lai Yau explains how social entrepreneurship plays a key role
in helping former patients make the adjustment.
46
Future of healthcare
Doing data mining and analysis, IBM’s supercomputer, Watson,
is working its way through vast volumes of healthcare information.
Jim Giles tells us it’s learning how to help doctors make
diagnoses. The ultimate goal: better care and lower costs.
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