Engaging with social entrepreneurs for sustainable health solutions

Dr. Wicke, would you give us a quick overview of the MMH initiative?

MMH began in 2010 as a partnership with the social entrepreneur network Ashoka. Since then, it has evolved into a many-faceted program, which is continuously forging new partnerships and developing innovative models to amplify social impact. Its goal is to improve health in underserved communities by identifying and supporting the most promising solutions to challenging health issues.

Can you expand on some of those issues?

When you look around the world, one of the most pressing issues in healthcare is achieving greater health equity. In underserved communities in particular, enabling better access to healthcare and optimal health outcomes remains an ongoing challenge. That is why equitable health is a cornerstone of our commitment with the work we do through MMH – and aligned with Boehringer’s 2030 sustainability commitments. For example, at our annual Making More Health Together convention, last year we invited MMH fellow Katie Plohocky to speak and share her insights on challenges of “food deserts” in the USA and the solutions she is creating to bring fresh food back to disadvantaged communities.

What do food deserts have to do with health?

This is important: We understand that many health issues can be created or exacerbated due to the food we eat. Looking at the bigger picture, through MMH’s long track record of social engagement, we have seen firsthand how interconnected health is with many other issues. Infrastructure, economic development, education, culture – all these fields interact with and impact one other.

That’s where our “Social Engagement Continuum” (see below) comes in. Its goal is to use many different approaches to address diverse needs in communities, while linking these interdependent issues with one another. It extends from supporting underserved communities through community activation, engaging with social entrepreneurs on their promising and innovative models as well as support social startups through grants and impact investments, to developing and sustaining social impact. This holistic approach is demonstrating great potential for creating better – and more sustainable – solutions and is now a vital part of our sustainability framework.

Can you explain how MMH and sustainability intersect?

MMH aligns closely with many of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is particularly evident in SDG 3 (health), which is at the core of our mission. Additionally, MMH’s work also aligns with SDG2 (zero hunger), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and SDG 17 (partnerships). And I can share that, in many ways, we were ahead of the curve with MMH. The SDGs were born at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 – by that time, MMH was already two years old.

What milestones stand out to you since MMH’s inception?

I am pleased to share that we have implemented a continuous social business strategy to support social start-ups along their journey. We have engaged with more than 130 social entrepreneurs to date in collaboration with partners like Villgro Africa and Ashoka. Since 2018, we were able to support over 30 social businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa, helping them develop their business ideas to address high unmet needs such as maternal health or chronic kidney diseases. Recognizing that innovative young entrepreneurs were facing critical barriers in the early stages, MMH also set up the Rising Stars incubator for healthcare start-ups. This was complemented by the Boehringer Ingelheim Social Engagement (BISE) fund in 2021. This 50 million EUR fund uses financing tools linked to in-kind contributions from our employees and partners to scale and sustain social startups. One of its first recipients was Geneplus, an agricultural biotech company from Kenya that helps small-scale farmers increase their productivity and profitability.

And what does the future hold for MMH?

Our overarching goal remains the same: to offer diverse, yet complementary opportunities to help overcome barriers and enable better healthcare solutions. We are entering the next phase of our journey, and in future partnerships will become even more essential to help us achieve our commitments. For example, last year we made the strategic decision to partner with Villgro Africa, an impact investor incubator that supports early-stage social entrepreneurs in Africa. Social innovation is a powerful catalyst for sustainable health solutions. We are convinced that by collaborating with strong partners on an equal footing, we can jointly make an even bigger difference in peoples’ lives.