The Knowledge to Decide

With a USD450 million loan from World Bank, the Indonesian government’s efforts to provide more affordable housing for low-income families has received a big boost. Spire Research and Consulting supported the feasibility study for this World Bank program, working with Indonesia’s Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MENPUPERA). Spire helped execute a product concept test for the program to build affordable housing, working with Deloitte Indonesia. This was done via Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) across 4 cities. The findings revealed that Indonesia faces substantial demand for one million new housing units annually. Moreover, 29 million people (out of 250 million) of Indonesia’s urban population still live in slums. A portion of the World Bank’s loan will go to support the government’s housing assistance program (BSPS) and community-based housing development program (P2BPK) to target low-income homeowners. At the same time, Indonesia also offers the FLPP scheme – a

To commemorate World Autism Awareness Day, Spire released its pro-bono study focusing on Indonesia’s autistic children, working in collaboration with Rumah Autis (Home for the Autistic) – an Indonesian NGO that provides therapy and raises awareness about autistic children. The first-of-its-kind autism mapping project highlighted the rising number of autism cases in children. These findings were published in The Jakarta Post – a prominent Indonesian online news portal. Autism – a complex developmental disorder – is on the rise in Indonesia. As more children are diagnosed with this condition, Indonesia needs to provide more affordable therapy centres and schools. According to the findings of the study, over 139,000 children (under the age of 17) suffer from this condition – with 25,000 children in West Java alone. These children often do not receive adequate medical attention due to the uneven distribution of therapists and high costs. The findings reveal that each child with A

India is struggling to provide adequate healthcare to its rural citizens. However, necessity spawns innovation. Several Indian hospitals have taken the initiative to work with globally trained specialists to reform existing healthcare approaches. Some Indian hospitals have devised a business model which will enable them to provide world class facilities at affordable rates. The model will enhance revenue generation and hence sustainability in rural hospitals through funds raised from wealthy patients – reducing the burden on the government. According to the Economics of National Security Bureau, the Indian government spends only USD43 on healthcare per person while 70% of healthcare expenses are usually borne by individuals and families. Is India’s Robin Hood healthcare business model set to revolutionize rural healthcare? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/better-healthcare-access-for-the-rural-poor-in-india/