- Basma Mohammed Jasim is committed to sustainability and innovating health care for vulnerable populations in Iraq.
- She joined the UNITAR programme Great Ideas Space 2023: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Promoting Health Security and Economic Development in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon.
- Basma is developing a telehealth platform to provide medical services and consultations, especially to people unable to leave their homes.
- She aims to alleviate the burden on people needing care and on hospitals with limited resources.
- The UNITAR programme taught Basma skills in entrepreneurship, project management and sustainability.
UNITAR
26 November 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Basma Mohammed Jasim is committed to sustainability and innovating health care for vulnerable populations in Iraq. She is spearheading a telehealth platform to provide medical services, especially to those unable to leave their homes. Basma joined a UNITAR training programme on entrepreneurship and innovation for health security in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon in 2023, where she gained the tools to help set up her platform and create sustainable, social impact.
An Idea to Improve Access to Health Care
Iraq’s health-care system faces significant pressures from limited resources, ongoing conflict and infrastructure challenges. This is particularly the case in Basra, where Basma works. Basma hopes to alleviate the burden on people needing care – especially for people who are homebound, whether due to age, disability or illness – by offering them accessible healthcare services, while at the same time reducing the strain on hospitals coping with limited resources.
The platform also aims to address immediate healthcare needs and creates job opportunities for new medical graduates. However, challenges include data collection and securing agreements with medical agencies, requiring persistent negotiation and advocacy.
To this end, Basma is developing a telehealth platform that includes a website, which provides information about the services and contact details of medical service providers, and a mobile app that facilitates real-time medical consultations and home visits.
The long-term impacts are to provide locals in need of medical services, and also to create more job opportunities for medical professionals suitable to their availability and lifestyle.” – Basma Mohammed Jasim, UNITAR alumna
Learning Collaboratively with UNITAR
UNITAR
While developing this idea, Basma discovered the UNITAR programme Great Ideas Space 2023: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Promoting Health Security and Economic Development in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. Supported by the Government and People of Japan, the programme trained entrepreneurs in the three countries to bring to life their innovative local COVID-19 recovery solutions. Basma applied to the programme, encouraged by its reputation and the opportunity it offered to gain new skills.
The beginning online training phases offered Basma flexibility in balancing her studies with her full-time job. She learned about entrepreneurship, project management and sustainability, while gaining real-time feedback through interactive sessions and collaboration with her peers.
Basma was among the 16 top performers who were invited to join the in-person training in Tokyo and Hiroshima in the final phase of the programme, which was also joined by 19 participants from South Sudan. The experience, she found, was transformative. Basma valued the in-person interactions with participants from different countries and mentors and learning from their diverse perspectives. She was particularly struck by the psychological lectures on trauma-informed strategies for effective business management and workplace performance by Dr. Jacqueline Linder who looked at ways to understand stakeholders and customers. Basma found this understanding crucial to shaping her telehealth project.
Future Plans
Basma’s long-term vision is to expand her telehealth initiative into a comprehensive agency that offers services for both physical and mental health. She hopes to contribute to a flexible and supportive work environment for medical professionals and a more efficient health-care system in Iraq. Towards this dream, she plans to develop more app features, secure additional partnerships and explore new markets.
Drawing inspiration from Hiroshima’s resilience, Basma encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to persevere even in the face of challenges. She highlights the importance of continuous effort, networking, adaptability and innovation.
What I’m going to apply and use from here is the connections I have built—whether with colleagues, participants, or mentors, alongside all the knowledge I have gained about marketing strategies, financial strategies, and ways to further develop my project." – Basma Mohammed Jasim, UNITAR alumna
Basma is grateful to the Government and People of Japan for their support. The hospitality and encouragement she received in the programme reinforced for her the importance of international collaboration and collective effort in driving positive change.
Her work in sustainability and health care demonstrates how individual efforts can lead to broader societal benefits. Through her telehealth project, boosted by the UNITAR training, Basma paves the way for improved access to health care and environmental sustainability in Iraq, inspiring fellow entrepreneurs and professionals to make a difference in their communities.
ABOUT UNITAR
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a dedicated training arm of the United Nations. In 2023, UNITAR trained over 540,000 learners around the world to support their actions for a better future. UNITAR has a global presence, with offices in Geneva, Hiroshima, New York and Bonn and networks around the world. Find out more at https://unitar.org.