Identifying Evidence-Based Strategies to Strengthen the Ability of Social Enterprises to Scale Health Impact in Low-and Middle-Income Countries

Abstract

The purpose of this literature review is to identify evidence-based strategies that strengthen the ability of social enterprises to scale health impact in low-and middle-income countries. In a preliminary review of the field of scaling health impact in social health enterprises, one finds that the themes which continue to arise are health innovation, importance of entrepreneurial ecosystem in healthcare, and the function of public-private partnerships in strengthening the healthcare ecosystem. Multisector stakeholder collaborations have a significant function in developing a successful Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in health. The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in healthcare depends upon many actors, among which government is an important stakeholder. However, for low- and middle-income countries, Simone et al. (2022) emphasized the growing involvement of the private sector in the provision of public sector health services for strengthening Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and scaling health impact. This study is based on a review of white literature augmented by selected grey for the understanding of existing developments, gaps, and future directions in this field. An extensive analysis of the existing literature will reveal some enablers of the success of an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in healthcare, i.e., the importance of stakeholder engagement and Public Private Partnerships (PPP). The study will reveal some factors that impede the development of a strong healthcare ecosystem and PPP projects, such as lack of legal and policy frameworks, accountability mechanisms, transparency of decision making, and transfer of ownership. Recognition of these impediments will help bridge the gap between planning, implementation, and successful execution of projects in social enterprises working towards scaling health impact in low-and middle-income countries, hence contributing to the field of global health.