Thanks to Tyler from Ashoka for sending the below synopsis. Great stuff, I’ll try to post more detail when I am back, in the meantime read the full post at Changemakers – Simple Solutions Nudging Extraordinary Change. “A simple piece of cloth or a heap of compost can redirect the course of a community’s health and wellbeing…two winners are demonstrating how everyday items can drastically improve access to wholesome foods and lifesaving hygiene…”

Fact 1: Eleven cent sanitary cloth napkins help 20,000 women in India safely manage their menstruation cycles.

Fact 2: A community-driven waste management in Peru inspires 95% of their community to take control of their garbage and recycling.

Fact 3: 700 Venezuelan children have trained as oral health promoters, providing educational and preventive dentistry programs in their own schools.

What do all these facts have in common?

They are all the winning innovative entries in Ashoka’s Changemakers competition, “Designing for Better Health.” Sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 335 entrants entered to provide a variety of innovative design solutions to address complex issues in healthcare – how can our choices be shaped to help us make the best ones?  After narrowing down the list to 10 finalists, the public voted for these three as their favorites.

The winners are compelling examples of “nudges” – innovative little pushes – that empower people to make better decisions regarding their own health and the health of others.