tragedy of easy problems

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tragedy of easy problems
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easy problems
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easy problems
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easy problems have solutions
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easy problems have solutions
economically feasible technically
effective logistically scalable
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easy problems are everywhere
cataract blindness diarrheal disease childhood
vaccination and more
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cataract blindness
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cataract blindness
Nearly 40 million people in the world are
blind. Cataracts are the worlds leading cause
of blindness, affecting almost 20 million
people. The backlog is growing.
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cataract blindness
Nearly 40 million people in the world are
blind. Cataracts are the worlds leading cause
of blindness, affecting almost 20 million
people. The backlog is growing.
10
cataract blindness
Nearly 40 million people in the world are
blind. Cataracts are the worlds leading cause
of blindness, affecting almost 20 million
people. The backlog is growing.
11
cataract blindness
Nearly 40 million people in the world are
blind. Cataracts are the worlds leading cause
of blindness, affecting almost 20 million
people. The backlog is growing.
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cataract blindness
Nearly 40 million people in the world are
blind. Cataracts are the worlds leading cause
of blindness, affecting almost 20 million
people. The backlog is growing. There is a
fast, cheap, and highly successful surgery.
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But what are cataracts?
A cataract is an opacification of the eyes lens
that causes blindness. It is treated by the
removal of the lens and replacement with an
intraocular lens (IOL).
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An innovative model
High throughput Thousands of free surgeries
performed High quality Small Incision Cataract
Surgery with IOL Low price Cost per surgery is
15-20 Sustainable Paying patients subsidize
costs for free patients
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A little history
This model was pioneered by Govindappa
Venkataswamy at the Aravind Eye Hospital Emerged
from the eye camps run by South Indian
ophthalmologists Sought to bring to eye care
what McDonalds brought to hamburgers Scale,
efficiency
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Other easy problems
A promising legacy Smallpox, Rinderpest The
next big things Polio, guinea worm Seizing
opportunities Diarrheal disease Innovating to
easy Malaria
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Other easy problems
A promising legacy Smallpox, Rinderpest The
next big things Polio, guinea worm Seizing
opportunities Diarrheal disease Innovating to
easy Malaria
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Other easy problems
A promising legacy Smallpox, Rinderpest The
next big things Polio, guinea worm Seizing
opportunities Diarrheal disease Innovating to
easy Malaria
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Other easy problems
A promising legacy Smallpox, Rinderpest The
next big things Polio, guinea worm Seizing
opportunities Diarrheal disease Innovating to
easy Malaria
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Why do we fail to address easy problems?
The perception problem The mission
problem
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Doing what works The incentive triangle
opportunity



communitys desires
workers desires
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What happens when we fail?
My own venture, CatarACT International,
failed. What did we learn?
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How do we succeed well and fail well?
We have to get the most out of every stage.
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How do we succeed well and fail well?
We can with a process- oriented approach to
identify new ideas and bring them to scale.
We have to get the most out of every stage.
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How do we succeed well and fail well?
A development research to action group.
We have to get the most out of every stage.
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How do we succeed well and fail well?
Think broadly. Realize specifically. Yield
sustainably.
We have to get the most out of every stage.
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Acknowledgements
Dr. V. Panneerselvam Dr. Michael Gyasi The
whole CatarACT team, especially Yuna
Rapoport, Nick Naroditski, Amar Vira, Ashwin
Anandani, Yamei Liu, Chris Yim, Gokul Kumar, Hema
Ramkumar, Tanay Dudhela, and Neha
Malhotra. Shivan Sivakumar Leila Wilmers
(TRYcycle) Personal funding Northwestern
University Medical Scientist Training
Program Fulbright Scholarship St Johns
College, Cambridge, Benefactors
Scholarship CatarACT funding Northwestern
University and private donors