Dr. Asher Hasan is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of NAYA JEEVAN (‘new life’; http://www.njfk.org) a social enterprise dedicated to providing low-income families in the emerging world with affordable access to high quality, healthcare. Through the innovative NAYA JEEVAN health plan, large numbers of informal workers (maids, drivers, cooks, guards, etc and their families) and low-income workers in the academic, corporate, SME and NGO sectors now have cashless access to a nationwide network of over 150 private hospitals across 30 cities in Pakistan (including some of the best hospitals in Pakistan). For just 150-200 Rupees/month (~$2/life/month), low-income workers can be covered up to heart bypass surgery and receive annual medical check-ups, 24/7 dedicated telehealth access to medical doctors for emergency consultation, workshops focused on preventive health and vocational skill development and access to a health rescue fund for all uninsurable conditions (e.g. psychiatric care, etc). NAYA JEEVAN has already enrolled over 15,000 low-income members across over 100 organizations, including over 7500 low-income children from NGO school systems such as SOS Children’s Village, Zindagi Trust and DIL. For more information, please refer to http://www.njfk.org
Asher is a 2011 World Economic Forum/Schwab Foundation Asian Social Entrepreneur of the Year, a 2011 Ashoka US fellow, a 2011 Ariane de Rothschild fellow and an invited member of the Clinton Global Initiative for 2009 and 2010. He has also been selected as an Asia 21 young leader in 2010 and a TED India fellow in 2009. In addition, NAYA JEEVAN is also a member of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) and the recipient of a 1st prize in the 2008 New York University Social Entrepreneurship Business Plan competition. Prior to launching NAYA JEEVAN, Asher served in the capacity of Senior Director and Head of the US Medical Affairs Obesity team for Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc in San Diego, CA. Dr. Hasan also completed an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Asher completed his ‘A’ levels from Karachi Grammar School (KGS) before attending Oberlin College where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and biology with an additional concentration in international relations. This was followed by research at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital and training in general surgery at Beth Israel Medical Center. Asher currently serves as a member of Asia Society’s task force on Pakistan: 20/20 vision.
