Last Mile Health

The first seven big ideas supported by The Audacious Project have had incredible impact so far. Watch our session live from TED2019 to discover the ideas receiving support this year. Photo: Ryan Lash/TED

More than a billion people in the world lack access to basic health care. It’s a hard truth that Raj Panjabi pointed to as he accepted the TED Prize in 2017 — globally, there’s a shortage of accredited health workers, and many people living in remote areas are all but cut off from care. There’s a proven way to making sure they get it: Train locals to serve as community health workers, giving them the skills to bridge between their neighbors and the health care system. Trained community health workers can extend health care to millions of people.

Blandina Herman of Tanzania sits with her granddaughter amid part of the maize she harvested in 2018. Before enrolling with One Acre Fund, she harvested seven bags a year. She now harvests more than double that. Photo: Courtesy of One Acre Fund

In this anonymous conference room, The Bail Project is doing paperwork to release 20 people from jail in a single day. Want to know more about the bail system in the US? Read this explainer.

At One Acre Fund’s soil lab in Kenya, soil samples from small farms are analyzed to help the farmers select the right seeds and fertilizer to maximize their yields. Photo: Courtesy of One Acre Fund