School of Public Health and Community Medicine

Yunus and Gonski image 3 zeros

Yunus Social Business Health Hub (YSBHH)

The SPHCM Yunus Social Business Health Hub(YSBHH) is one of 25 collaborating centres across the world, working with the Yunus Social Business Foundation to improve health outcomes for communities in Australia, Asia and the Pacific. Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus is the father of both social business and microcredit and the founder of Grameen Bank. UNSW’s School of Public Health and Community Medicine will collaborate with the Yunus Centre, established by the Nobel laureate, to improve health outcomes for poor communities in Australia, Asia and the Pacific.

WEPCreating Changes and Football UnitedYSBHH FrameworkKinu Foundation Elizabeth

Aim and Vision

The UNSW Yunus Social Business Health Hub’s (YSBHH) aim is to contribute to improving social and health outcomes for poor communities in Australia, Asia and the Pacific through social business in health teaching, research, and applied action. At the YSBHH, we consider social business as a public health and social change approach, where investment in research, teaching and social engagement foster better social and health outcomes and social change. This flagship Hub is aligned with the UNSW 2025 Strategic Plan and operates at the nexus of academic excellence (research, teaching and learning), social engagement and global impact.

Focus areas

  • sport for social change and peace-building;
  • youth empowerment through social business workshops and events
  • Technology including e-health and engagement with the built environment
 

Donate Now

To donate click here

We are raising funds for the research and development activities of the YSBHH.  Donations to UNSW of $2 or more are tax deductible in Australia. All donors are issued with a receipt.

 

Academic Staff

Dr Anne Bunde-Birouste
Senior Lecturer and Convener of Health Promotion in School of Public Health and Community Medicine UNSW

Dr Anne Bunde-Birouste, Director of the UNSW Yunus Social Business for Health Hub, is also the SPHCM Convener of the Health Promotion Program. Anne is recognized both nationally and internationally for her expertise in Health Promotion, Sport for Development and Social Change, innovative community-based approaches for working with disadvantaged groups. Anne specialises in fostering the nexus between practice-based research, teaching and social impact. In 2006 Anne founded UNSW’s flagship sport for social change program, Football United, which promotes social inclusion for disadvantaged youth and their families using soccer/football as the vehicle, and has been featured in an award winning documentary as well as numerous state and federal awards. Football United has been running strong in both Australia and Myanmar where the program runs a significant number of football for peace and social cohesion programs. Under Anne’s leadership, Football United, 2014 together with the Rugby Youth Foundation, has developed the first social enterprise for sport for social change in Australia, Creating Chances. A passionate human rights activist, Anne is on the Board of Streetfootballworld and was state finalist for the Australian of the Year Award in 2016. Anne was Scientific Director of the IUHPE from 1991 – 2002, and Board of Trustees member and VP Advocacy from 2004 – 2013. Anne was recently named in the Australian Financial Review’s 2018 list of 100 Women of Influence.

+61 (2) 9385 2591    
ab.birouste@unsw.edu.au

 Image - Anne Bunde-Birouste
 

Dr Mahfuz Ashraf
Lecturer in School of Public Health and Community Medicine UNSW

Mahfuz Ashraf convenes a ‘social business’ course and supervises research/projects related to innovation and entrepreneurship for social impact in resource-poor settings. He brings global social business academic and professional networking with the collaboration of Noble Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus which resulted an establishment of social business center in UNSW Sydney (2015) and University of South Australia (2018).  He is a mentor and coach for start-up companies and supports student led ‘idea competition’ for social impact. His mentorship enabled a start-up (Water Democracy, Australia) winning Young Social Pioneers FYA program award in 2017 for piloting a renewable energy project in Australia and Bangladesh.  Mahfuz is a Lecturer at  School of Public Health and Community Medicine, executive member of WHO Collaborative Centre on eHealth and Assistant Director of UNSW Yunus Social Business Health Hub. He is the Associate Editor; Australia and New Zealand Journal of Social Business, Environment and Sustainability; ISSN:2206-4346.

+61 (2) 9385 8273
md.ashraf@unsw.edu.au
 

Image - Mahfuz Ashraf
 

Dr Bayzidur Rahman
Senior Lecturer in School of Public Health and Community Medicine UNSW

Bayzid trained and worked as an environmental scientist in Bangladesh before commencing his PhD in epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Sydney on environmental exposures and the risk of cancer. While undertaking his PhD, Bayzid worked as a consultant biostatistician for several research institutes including St Vincent’s Hospital, the Australian and New Zealand Society for Nephrology and for the Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, Prince of Wales Royal Hospital for women. He commenced his position as a lecturer in statistics at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW in January 2010 and promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2014. Since 2010, he has been teaching the Statistics part of the “Epidemiology and Statistics for Public Health” and the Advanced Biostatistics and Statistical Computing course since its inception in 2011. His research interests include multivariable methods, systematic review and meta-analysis, exposure modelling and the epidemiology of cancer and environmental factors, advanced analysis of count data and analysis of data from clustered randomised trials. He is involved as associate investigator in several research projects in Australia, China and Bangladesh including the Skin Health Study, cohort study on arsenic exposure and chronic diseases, neglected tropical diseases and cross-sectional study on smokeless tobacco use, cluster RCT on climate change adaptation in Bangladesh. He is doing collaborative research with other institutions including the Cancer Council NSW, The University of Newcastle, United Arab Emirates University and the University of Chicago. He has supervising and co-supervising several PhD and Masters students at UNSW and other universities in Australia. He has previously taught at the University of Sydney for three years and as a guest lecturer at the University of Newcastle and ran short courses on biostatistics in BRAC Bangladesh, UChicago Research Bangladesh and in the International Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh (icddr,b).
Bayzid is a member of the UNSW Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC).

+61 (2) 9385 8660
bayzid@unsw.edu.au
 
image - Bzyzid Rahman
 

Prof Teng Liaw
Professor of General Practice UNSW

Teng Liaw is Professor of General Practice (UNSW) and Director of the Academic General Practice Unit in Fairfield, where he cares for patients and teaches registrars and health professional students and supervises Masters and PhD students from Information, Computer and Health Sciences conducting translational, informatics and data analytics research. Professor Teng is Co-Director of the UNSW WHO Collaborating Centre on E-Health which is hosted by the SPHCM. This is the avenue for his global eHealth research and capacity building in the Asia Pacific.  His work in integrating social business practice and principles with health and eHealth is the focus of his work with the Yunus Social Business Health Hub.

He is a recognised general practice and eHealth practitioner, educator and researcher as indicated by his election to Fellowship of the American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI) and Foundation Fellowship of the Australasian College of Health Informatics; peer-reviewed publications and invited conference presentations, consultancies, professional committees; editorial boards; and peer-review panels for competitive grants and scientific conferences.

He has an excellent track record in winning competitive funding for his research in EHR-based data analytics and eHealth and clinical research. Professor Liaw’s international collaborative research examines EHR data for their fitness for patient care, quality improvement and research; and quality of software applications to collect, aggregate, link, analyse and display data. He has made sustained contributions to primary and integrated care and informatics research with a focus on cross-cultural health and disadvantaged populations. He has published 120+ peer-reviewed publications and 17 book chapters in the past 5 years.

He is Associate Editor of the International Journal of Medical Informatics and a Deputy Editor for Journal of Innovations in Health Informatics in Primary Care. He chairs the RACGP National Research & Evaluation Ethics Committee and sits on the RACGP Research Committee. He has enduring relationships with Commonwealth and state departments, RACGP, Primary Health Networks, Aboriginal Health organisations, and international networks in eHealth and integrated care research area.

+61 (2) 9616 8520
siaw@unsw.edu.au
 

S-T Liaw
 

Professor Richard Taylor
Professor of International and Public Health, School of Public Health and Community Medicine UNSW

Richard Taylor (co-director of YSBHH), a prominent Epidemiologist working at UNSW as Professor of International and Public Health. He graduated in Medicine from the University of Sydney (USyd), and studied Tropical Medicine at the London School. He was Epidemiologist at the South Pacific Commission in Noumea (New Caledonia) and has worked at Monash University (Melbourne), School of Public Health (SPH) at USyd, SPH University of Queensland (UQ). His research and service activities have resulted in 520 publications, including 259 refereed articles (H index 34). His research focuses on the epidemiological transition and non-communicable disease epidemiology and control in the international context, including cardiovascular disease and cancer control in developed and developing countries.

+61 (2) 9385 2595
r.taylor@unsw.edu.au
 

Richard Taylor UNSW
 

Dr Padmanesan Narasimhan
Lecturer, School of Public Health and Community Medicine UNSW

Dr Padmanesan Narasimhan lectures at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine. He completed his Masters of Public Health (MPH) and PhD from the UNSW Sydney, Australia in tuberculosis transmission among household contacts in south India. His area of research includes infectious diseases transmission, health management, international health systems, understanding and application of e-health models and disease management. He is also involved in teaching health services management, communicable disease emergencies and infectious disease epidemiology. He has published his research in leading international journals and conferences.Dr Narasimhan currently researches in developing frameworks for social business, Global eHealth, and sustainable development goals (SDGs).

+61 (2) 9385 3944
padmanesan@unsw.edu.au
 

Padma Narasimhan
 

Dr Elizabeth Kpozehouen
Research Associate UNSW

Elizabeth Kpozehouen is a medical doctor trained in China and Research Associate at UNSW Sydney, Australia. She has completed Master of Public Health and Master of Health Management programs at UNSW. Elizabeth has experience in management of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centres for Research Excellence. Currently she manages the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence (CRE) - Integrated Systems for Epidemic Response (ISER), previously she managed the CRE Immunisation in Under-studied and Special Risk Populations. She also worked as medical doctor in China.

+61 (2) 9385 1192
e.kpozehouen@unsw.edu.au
 

Eliabeth Kpozehouen
 

Dr Myron Anthony Godinho
Scientia PhD Scholar, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Sydney

A medical doctor passionate about Global Health Policy, Myron has organised and chaired numerous Model UN & WHO debate simulations, and recently chaired the Security Council at the Asia-Pacific MUN 2018. With three years of work experience in evidence synthesis & qualitative research, he has peer-reviewed publications in the areas of health policy & systems, health economics, and epidemiology. Myron also enjoys cycling, cooking, photography, and playing the guitar.

+61 450 693 161
m.godinho@student.unsw.edu.au
 

Myron Anthony Godinho

 

 

Microfinance scheme in Tunduru

Microfinance scheme in Ruvuma region - Tanzania was started in July 2017, the aim of the initiative is to create jobs and alleviate poverty. The initiative “Microfinance scheme in Tunduru” explores opportunities and barriers influencing micro-enterprises’ access to finance in rural and semi urban areas, and provide alternative solution to existing challenges. The initiative gives micro-enterprises and informal-economy businesses access to capital money to start and develop small business and to secure savings and borrowings with transparent costs, low interest rate and without time burden to return the loan. Objectives of the microfinance scheme in are:

  1. To provide low interest loans to individuals and groups of women and young entrepreneurs, to enable them to establish or develop their small businesses, to increase their income.
  2. To provide entrepreneurship training to groups of entrepreneurs and individuals to enable them to reach business goals.
 

Social enterprise, digital health & citizen engagement for integrated healthcare delivery: a conceptual framework

As public healthcare systems in developed nations seem to produce only limited gains in population health, policymakers are increasingly looking elsewhere for convincing solutions to improve population health. In developing countries, public health systems are notoriously underfunded, and precariously overloaded; the need for other actors to step in and fill the gaps in healthcare service delivery has been evident for a while. Social enterprises hold great promise in being able to meet these needs in both developed and developing nations, and many efforts are already underway in this regard. Social entrepreneurs involved in health service delivery are harnessing the capacity of digital health (including eHealth, mHealth, health informatics, etc.) to improve service delivery, while also lowering the cost of care. Critically, this in turn enables those at the bottom of the economic pyramid (who were previously priced out of the market) to now have access to these essential services. Crucial to the design and delivery of effective services using a social enterprise business model and digital health, is robust citizen engagement, involving two-way communication in an iterative process of continuous improvement. This interdisciplinary project aims to develop a conceptual framework for utilising Social Enterprise, Digital Health, and Citizen Engagement to deliver Integrated, Patient-Centred Health Services. The project bridges the WHO Collaborating Centre for eHealth, and UNSW’s Yunus Social Business Health Hub (YSBHH), and is being undertaken by Dr Myron Anthony Godinho, a Scientia PhD Scholar at the School for Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Sydney.

 

Social business concepts and practices in healthcare service delivery in Australia

In Australia, particularly in the context of government policy and programs (e.g. tax system and business laws with a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, new Entrepreneur visa from Nov, 2016 and 6.4% estimated growth of community-based care business), Social Business-the part of the third sector engaged in business- can act as potential ‘business’ model of healthcare service delivery at community level. In the social business model, the business runs as a non-dividend business that is created with an objective to address and solve a social problem by applying business principles (Villis et al., 2013). The three main features distinguish this model - it endeavours to eliminate social problems and poverty; it must be operated in a sustainable manner; and all profits – when they are made – are to be reinvested into the business instead of being distributed among its shareholders (Yunus et al., 2015:46). This research aims to document good practices in the operation and management of socially responsible community-led organisations serving in the disadvantageous communities of Australia.

 

Understanding small-entrepreneurs for community’s well-being: social business perspective

The objective of this study is to understand the unique social business model of small scale entrepreneurs and analyze its growth rates towards community’s well-being. Social business research has matured rapidly in recent times and anecdotal reports of spectacular success stories have appeared in the popular press. There is also a growing urgency to articulate ‘How to make social business for small-entrepreneurs work for community’s well-being of your country?’, ‘What are the differentiating factors of social business operational model.’ Our current research suggests that social business through small-entrepreneurs can unlock the potential of dramatic growth and employment in any society; consequently, achieve well-being of the community.

 

Social business involvement by company that is counterproductive to health and wellbeing

Discuss in relation to business ideas e.g. Danon Yogurt usually has high sugar content. Worldwide, Diabetes mellitus has been found to be the leading cause of death and disability (Lozano et al., 2012; Murray et al., 2012) and sugar, processed food all has been implicated in increased risk of diabetes mellitus (Gross et al., 2004). Another example, in India hand rolled tobacco or ‘bidi’ is considered to be a cottage industry which employs a lot of women and local products (kendu leaf, locally grown tobacco) are used. However, the occupational health hazards of the bidi workers have been well documented (Khanna et al., 2014) and long term and permanent health challenges that tobacco evokes all points towards serious health hazards. Given these facts, how social business can approve a business proposal making yogurt rich in processed sugar or a small-business making ‘bidi’? Can the long-term health impacts be ignored for short-term gains? Is there a greater need of more rigorous process of evaluation before a business proposal be approved and invested on?

Creating ChancesSport for social change and peace-building

Sport for social change (S4SC) involves purposefully designing social change, development programs that  harness the positive power of sport specifically  to address the sustainable development goals. This is made possible by going beyond community-based sports programs and integrating the social business sector to ensure sustainability and change.

(a) Football United S4SCP Program

The YSBHH is directly engaged with the SPHCM’s Football United S4SCP program, which operates in Australia and Myanmar. YSBHH Director Dr Anne Bunde-Birouste also leads an international  study on sustainable funding mechanisms in S4SC with the internationally renowned Streetfootballworld network and research.

(b) Creating Chances

Additionally, the UNSW YSBHH engages in teaching research and applied practice in S4SCP through the Creating Chances Social Enterprise. Creating Chances Social Enterprise was founded which enabled the program to be expanded and develop through a self-funding social enterprise approach. Creating Chances aims to inspire, develop and empower youth to believe in themselves so they contribute positively to society.
 

image - YSBCH ProjectsFootball United @ SPHCM, UNSW

An initiative born in 2006 from the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at UNSW Sydney, Football United creates chances for youth from disadvantaged communities. Brought together through the magic of football, Football United programs engage and inspire them through life skills and leadership education along with the delivery of free, easily accessible and regular football for children in their communities. Sport has been increasingly recognised and used as a low-cost and high-impact tool in humanitarian, development and peace-building efforts. Sport has a unique power to attract, mobilize and inspire. By its very nature, sport is about participation. It is about inclusion and citizenship. It stands for human values such as respect for the opponent, acceptance of binding rules, teamwork and fairness. <See more about Football United>

Football United and the Yunus Social Business Health Hub are both initiatives of the School of Public Health and Community Medicine and reflect the application of the UNSW 2025 Strategy across all three major thematic areas. Both initiatives have the potential to maximise applications of the strategy, locally in Australia as well as internationally. This short note situates their work within the UNSW 2025 strategies, and shows synergies between them. <See more about Football United's links to the UNSW 2025 Strategy>
 

Work experience program 2016Youth empowerment through social business workshops and events

Since 2015, the YSBHH has delivered an annual Work Experience Program (WEP) in Social Business to high school students from the Greater Sydney area. This highly popular program is designed to engage students who are interested in entrepreneurial social development, alleviation of poverty and equity in health care, and wish to understand how public health and social equity are applied to make a difference. Students receive intensive training and had one week to work together in a group, with assigned mentors from various UNSW Faculty and the Grameen Australia, and come up with innovative social business ideas.

Yunus Festival of Ideas - NSW high school students successfully completed the Yunus Work Experience Program in 2016.  See 'Big Ideas' Booklet. 

 

eHeath WHO CC CentreTechnology including e-health and engagement with the built environment

This project explores citizen and community engagement through the lens of social business and eHealth in the context of achieving the WHO SDGs. Clinical and population health processes, impacts and outcomes will be measured and monitored within the constructs of the WHO Integrated Patient-Centred Health System (IPCHS) Framework and eHealth Strategy. The UNSW WHO Collaborating Centre (eHealth) and Yunus Social Business Health Hub are vehicles for global health, social business, cross-cultural and equity programs. A global network of eHealth and social business centres of excellence will be engaged to conduct this project using social business and eHealth tools and methods. See WHO Collaborating Centre for eHealth.

 

 

Social Business and the Kinu Foundation

The Kinu foundation aims to create jobs and alleviate poverty among communities in Tanzania – targeting underserved populations (particularly females and younger people in rural areas). The Kinu Foundation commenced social business activities in 2017 in the Ruvuma region in southern Tanzania. They provide microcredit loans to assist people who find it difficult to get loans elsewhere. The purpose of the loan is to assist them establishing or developing a new business. <Click to see details and to access video>

 Elizabeth K
 

The World of Three Zeros - UNSW Book Launch

Professor Muhammad Yunus recently launched his new book 'The World of Three Zeros' at UNSW. Prof Yunus declares it's time to admit that the capitalist engine is broken - that in its current form it inevitably leads to rampant inequality, massive unemployment, and environmental destruction. We need a new economic system that unleashes altruism as a creative force just as powerful as self-interest. 
 

Yunus Gonski Three Zeros
 

Crowdfunding campaign to hatch a better future in Cambodia is live!!

Grameen Australia tackles poverty and unemployment by setting up Social Businesses that use entrepreneurship for good.  Part of the global Grameen and Yunus family of social businesses, they are setting up Cambodia’s only social business chicken farm. In order to eradicate poverity local dumpsite scavengers are recruited and trained in commercial chicken rearing. Help is needed to secure land that will support people in building their own futures through economic inclusion.  Click HERE now to DONATE and learn more about how, with your help, we will drive structural change in Cambodia to secure nutrition and rural incomes. <See flyer for details>
 

Crowdfund Cambodia
 

Yunus work experience placement for high school students

Work experience placements are available at UNSW for high school students who wish to understand how public health and social equity are applied to make a difference. This placement would suit students interested in social development, alleviation of poverty and equity in health care. The placement will be at The YSBHH, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Sydney campus.  <See flyer for details> and <Download application form>
 

image - Yunus Biography
 

Want to learn 'Social Business' for you, others and the society?

Nobel Laureate (Peace) Professor Mohammad Yunus created the idea of ‘Social Business’ to solve the global social problems in health, education and poverty. The emerging field of social business is growing and we are bringing knowledge and learning from  a large Global network of more than 12 different universities all over the World. As a part of this, we offer education, training and work support (intern) at University of New South Wales (UNSW). <See details and watch video>
 

Prof Mohammad Yunus
 

Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus energises UNSW for change

The father of social business and microcredit, Professor Muhammad Yunus, has given an empowering talk at UNSW, challenging his audience to harness the energy and the imagination of youth. In his empowering public lecture, Professor Yunus said the key to sustainable global development was harnessing the energy and the imagination of youth.  <See News Item & Listen to Lecture>
 

Professor Yunus
 

Anne Bunde-Birouste speaks about social change

Dr Anne Bunde-Birouse speaks to Tracey Holmes about social change on ABC News Q&A Extra.  <Listen to talk>
 

Anne Bunde-Birouste Q&A ABC News
 

High school students complete the 2016 Yunus work experience program

As many high school students have a keen sense of social responsibility and want to change the world for a better place, the aim of WEP is to provide workplace opportunities to NSW high school students to learn practical things and introduce them to Noble Laureate Professor Yunus's social business concepts and principles which have the potential to alleviate global, social, economic, health and environmental problems  <See 'Big Ideas' Booklet>
 

Yunus Wep 2016
 

Yunus Festival of Young Ideas 2015

The YSBHH successfully ran the “Yunus Festival of Young Ideas” which was a Work Experience Placement program. Students received intensive training and came up with innovative social business ideas. <See Booklet>
 

Yunus Festival of Young Ideas Booklet 2015
 

Watch videos on inauguration and panel discussion

Watch presentations on the inauguration of the Yunus Social Business Health Hub held at UNSW Australia on 20 March, 2015 and hear address from  Professor Muhammad Yunus. The launch was followed by a panel discussion on Social business, mHealth and health.  <Watch videos>
 

Prof Muhammad Yunus
 

Inauguration of Yunus Social Business Health Hub (YSBHH)

Transforming poor and marginalized communities through research into social business and health is the aim of a new agreement between UNSW and Nobel peace laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. <See more>
 

Yunus Inauguration UNSW News
 

Nobel Laureate urges young Australians to use creativity to solve world’s pressing social problems

Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus has launched the UNSW Yunus Social Business Health Hub (YSBHH) in a video address and urged young Australians to use their creativity to solve the world’s most pressing social problems.  <Read News Item>
 

image - Yunus Biography

 

GENM0709

The Power of Sport: An Introduction to Sport for Social Change (GENM0709)

This course introduces students to the exciting new and emerging field of sport for development and social change (S4D/SC), where the power of sport goes well beyond the traditional playing fields to address health and social challenges. Through an inspiring mix of workshops, case studies, multi-media, guest experts, students will learn about the compelling power of this emerging field of sport for development and social change. This course is perfect for students wanting to learn about affecting positive change in their communities, or globally, international development, community engagement, new avenues for engaging in sport, positive social impact and change. <View website>

 

GENM0520Social Business for Public Health(GENM0520)

This course enables students to develop the skills and perspective to identify and understand a social problem, to generate creative ideas to build a realistic social business plan. The focus in the class shifts from the theoretical understanding of social business to the practical approach of planning, organising, leading and monitoring a social business. <View website>

 

 

Contacts

Dr Anne Bunde-Birouste, Director
Dr Mahfuz Ashraf, Assistant  Director

Yunus Social Business Health Hub
School of Public Health and Community Medicine
UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
T: +61 (2) 9385 8273
E: ysbhh.sphcm@unsw.edu.au