Ashoka and Boehringer Ingelheim Partner to Promote New Ways of "Making More Health"

Ashoka and Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world’s largest and most innovative pharmaceutical companies, yesterday announced a new global partnership: “Making More Health.”

Making More Health is a three-year initiative aimed at improving health in communities around the world—promoting strong individuals, families, and communities by identifying and supporting the most promising solutions to challenging health problems.

“Some parts of how the world deals with health are highly creative, most especially the development of new pharmaceuticals, an area where Boehringer Ingelheim has made contribution after contribution for 125 years,” said Ashoka Chair, Bill Drayton. “Much of the rest of the system, however, has fallen way behind the need. The Making More Health partnership creates a global and business/social alliance led by top entrepreneurs and open to all that we believe will bring big changes to the entire system.” 

This comprehensive partnership will support several programs in the Ashoka family. Making More Health will elect at least 50 leading social entrepreneurs as Ashoka Fellows; launch two web-based Changemakers® competitions seeking innovative, sustainable solutions from around the world that increase individual, family, and community well-being; and focus on the next generation of changemakers, through a Youth Venture program challenging young people to design health solutions for their communities.

Boehringer Ingelheim will also involve its 42,000 employees across the world in various capacities to advance the understanding and appreciation of both social entrepreneurship and health innovations.

“Making More Health brings together two organizations committed to finding innovative people and ideas to help shape the future of the health sector,” said Prof. Dr. Andreas Barner, chairman of the board of managing directors for Boehringer Ingelheim. “Through this partnership we will bring forth meaningful and sustainable solutions that can achieve individual and family well-being in communities around the globe.”   

Making More Health has already supported four leading Ashoka Fellows the health sector, including Rebecca Onie, founder of Health Leads in the United States; Frank Hoffmann founder of Discovering Hands in Germany; Guillaume Bapst, founder of ANDES in France; and Luh Ketut Suryani, founder of the Suryani Institute for Mental Health in Indonesia.