In a New York Times article published in June, Business Joins African Effort to Cut Malaria, Sharon LaFraniere writes about the international mining company Billiton and its six year effort fighting malaria in Mozambique.  When more than one third of its staff fell ill with malaria and the mine’s operations came grinding to a halt, business executives realized that it was in their rational self-interest to put an end to the disease.  They teemed up with other businesses and three African governments and together, using better bed nets, pesticides, and drug treatment, they turned a malaria hot zone into an almost disease free environment.  Now, even after such success stories, inventors and health experts are looking for new tools to stamp out the disease.  One of the more interesting, and more controversial, tools is a malaria detecting wristwatch. 

On this blog, Casas Bahias, Brazil’s largest retailer, which has garnered its financial success by extending affordable credit to low income consumers, has been championed as a successful BOP business model. Strictly in terms of the bottom line, I agree. However, there is reason to believe that some of its business practices may actually harm the BOP. Case in point: Before this year’s World Cup, Casas Bahia made an offer that low-income consumers could not refuse: Buy one $3600 Philips plasma screen television and get a second one for just $.40. Of course there was one condition: Brazil must win the World Cup.