This article was originally published in Alliance Magazine on November 5, 2025
By João Abreu, co-founder and director of ImpulsoGov
In many parts of the world, technology has transformed the way societies deliver services, but not always the way they deliver care. In Brazil, where more than 170 million people depend on the public health system (SUS), representing about 80% of the population, the challenge goes beyond modernizing healthcare. It is about ensuring that innovation drives inclusion, transparency, and prevention.
Across the philanthropic landscape, a growing movement is exploring how data, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure can help bridge persistent inequalities in access to health. The focus is shifting from technology as an end in itself to technology as a tool for collective wellbeing. I had the opportunity to discuss this topic at the 2025 Brazilian Philanthropy Forum, during the panel ‘Innovation and Technology: From Dystopia to Utopia,’ moderated by Pedro Rossi, Vice President of The Global Fund for a New Economy, alongside Camila Valverde, Executive Director of the ArcelorMittal Foundation, and Eduardo Saron, President of the Itaú Foundation.
Plenary ‘Monitoring as a Bridge-Building Tool’, during the Brazilian Philanthropy Forum. Photo: Caio Garça
From treatment to prevention
Brazil’s universal health system is one of the world’s most ambitious public health systems, providing free, universal healthcare to a population larger than the UK and Germany combined. It has long been a symbol of public commitment to equality. Yet, the system still faces the challenge of reaching millions of citizens with timely, preventive care. Diseases that are potentially preventable continue to affect vulnerable populations who often lack consistent follow-up or early screening.
This is where philanthropy has begun to play a decisive role, financing innovation that helps the public sector act before crises emerge. By investing in digital tools, open data platforms, and local capacity building, philanthropic organizations are helping transform health management from reactive to preventive. Prevention, however, depends not only on medical capacity, but on information ecosystems that enable health teams to identify risks early and respond efficiently.
The use of digital tools in Brazil’s public health system is demonstrating that innovation, when designed for equity, can reach scale without sacrificing purpose. A notable example is Impulso Previne, a free, digital platform we developed at ImpulsoGov to support preventive health strategies within the SUS. It compiles and analyzes public data on essential indicators — from cancer screening to maternal health — and presents them in a simple, actionable format for local health professionals. By identifying which patients have overdue exams or unmonitored conditions, and linking them directly to responsible teams, the system helps municipalities act faster and more effectively. Also, the platform’s range of functionalities includes automating patient outreach with mobile reminders for check-ups and chronic disease follow-ups.
It has demonstrated measurable positive impacts on public health outcomes. According to an internal evaluation, within one year, thanks to the initiative, 1,540 women completed more than six prenatal consultations, 1,468 women received dental prenatal care, and 69,120 people received ongoing hypertension monitoring.
Impulso Previne is financed by the Together for Health program, part of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) efforts and managed by the IDIS (Institute for the Development of Social Investment). The projects are financed through a matchfunding model with BNDES. Impulso Previne, in particular, is co-financed by Umane and it was previously by Dynamo Institute.
The broader role of philanthropy
For Brazil’s philanthropic sector, innovation in health is not merely a matter of efficiency; it is an ethical choice. Supporting preventive health technologies offers one of the most direct ways to reduce inequality, particularly for people who are disproportionately affected by systemic barriers to care.
This concept was also emphasized during the 2025 Brazilian Philanthropy Forum, organized by IDIS, which fostered reflections and dialogue on how philanthropy can act as a catalyst for meaningful change in times of crisis, reinforcing the urgency of turning hope into action. Participants discussed topics such as climate change and its social impacts, the role of companies in transformation, technological challenges and innovations in the social sector, and the importance of collective resilience and interdependence to design a fairer future.
The panel ‘Monitoring as a Bridge-Building Tool,’ featuring Ana Fontes, Founder of Rede Mulher Empreendedora (RME) and Instituto RME; Jessie Krafft, CEO of CAF America; and Leticia Born, Associate Director for Global and Latin America at Co-Impact, and moderated by Wesley Matheus, Secretary for Monitoring and Evaluation of Public Policies and Economic Affairs at Brazil’s Ministry of Planning and Budget, brought valuable reflections on the importance of conducting impact monitoring while maintaining a balance that enables funding mechanisms to foster autonomy and trust among implementing organizations.
One of the topics discussed was the relevance of unrestricted funding, which is not limited to the delivery of specific project outcomes but can instead support institutional development, research, and innovation. In addition, participants emphasized the importance of collaboration between different organizations and funders working toward shared goals, and the need to view philanthropy not only through a short-term lens but also as a driver of systemic change, grounded in trust and transparency.
In the context of healthcare, the experiences emerging from Brazil show that technology — when combined with collaboration, trust, and a preventive mindset — can truly drive transformation. Philanthropy plays a vital role in ensuring that innovation serves people first, helping build systems that are not only smarter, but fairer and more humane.
