Partnerships are vital to our work at PharmAccess: we work collaboratively, each bringing our strengths and expertise to the shared goal of creating a virtuous cycle of trust in sub-Saharan healthcare systems.
Partnerships
We have a wide range of partnerships with public and private organizations, all of whom believe that we can, and should, do healthcare differently. Our partners’ support and collaboration allow us to continue to innovate to strengthen healthcare systems and provide access to quality care for everyone, including the most vulnerable. Some of our partnerships enable us to scale. Private sector healthcare provider associations, such as the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), the Association of Private Health Facilities (APHFTA) in Tanzania, and the NGO KMET in Kisumu, Kenya, have hundreds of member facilities across their respective countries. Through these partnerships, services like the Medical Credit Fund loans, SafeCare's certification, and healthcare financing products like MomCare can expand to the regional or national level. Lastly, collaboration with county and state governments and social health insurance including Lagos and Kwara in Nigeria, the National Health Insurance Association in Ghana, the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, and the County Government of Kisumu ensure social inclusion of poor populations.
Our collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands is our key partner that has enabled us, through the Health Insurance Fund, to develop transformative healthcare financing approaches to strengthen the demand and supply of healthcare systems. In addition, their support provides us the opportunity to leverage additional funding from public and private entities worldwide. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Dutch government is scaling up its efforts in the field of global health with the Dutch Global Health Strategy 2023-2030. In its first year of implementation, the strategy aims to contribute to coordinated efforts in improving public health around the world. With a focus on unlocking the power of digitalization, private sector inclusion, and blended financing models, we are proud to be recognized as a key partner in achieving this mission. Additionally, we are grateful to be a permanent beneficiary of the Dutch National Postcode Lottery (NPL): Since 2015, the NPL has provided unearmarked funding to support PharmAccess’ activities to strengthen health systems in sub-Saharan Africa. The Lottery's unrestricted funding allows PharmAccess to invest in early-stage innovative approaches and proof-of-concept solutions that improve access to better quality healthcare in the countries where we operate. One example of such a project is designing a new value-based care model for hypertension.
Coalitions for collective action
We recognize that health system change requires collective action, and we are therefore active members of leading coalitions at a national and global level. This enables us to advocate for best practices and pool resources to drive lasting impact.
At the international level, our advocacy is connected with the United Nations (UN), WHO, World Economic Forum, and international coalitions such as UHC2030, Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition, Digital Connected Care Coalition (DCCC), and Digital Transformations for Health Lab (DHTLab).
Since the launch of the Digital Transformations for Health Lab (DHT-Lab) in October 2023, PharmAccess has been a consortium member. DHT-Lab focuses on leveraging digital transformations to improve the health and well-being of youth in Africa. Moving forward PharmAccess and the DTH-Lab will focus on, amongst others, developing a Digital Citizen Toolkit in collaboration with young people to promote literacy in digital, health, and civic domains. PharmAccess and Philips initiated, in 2019, the Digital Connected Care Coalition (DCCC), a multi-stakeholder coalition united to address fragmentation and to accelerate the digital transformation of healthcare as a strategy for achieving UHC in low- and middle-income countries. We initiate partnerships between members that accelerate digital health projects requiring an ecosystem approach. In 2023, during the Africa Health Tech Summit in Kigali, DCCC hosted a session on Transformative partnerships for digital health, joining forces to increase access to equitable quality care. Together with Africa CDC and Africa Health Business, we opened up the dialogue on how private and public sectors can engage and work together.
With Transform Health and the Health Data Collaborative, we advocate for better governance of health data, maximizing the value of health data as a public good while protecting individuals' rights. Together with other innovators in the World Economic Forum’s Global Coalition for Value-Based Care, we are pioneering the use of digital technology and data to develop value-based care models that deliver better outcomes for patients.
We are driving global UHC advocacy efforts through the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (CSEM) for UHC2030. We contributed to the Political Declaration, which was signed by UN member states in 2023, to reinvigorate commitment and action for UHC.
PharmAccess is also a member of the Task Force for Health Care and the Netherlands African Business Council – Dutch private sector associations for healthcare and trade with Africa respectively.
Financial partners and donors
Our donors share our purpose of improving equitable access to quality care for all, and in many cases, they are well-established in the health sector. In addition to funding, they contribute expertise, facilitate new collaborations, and expand the reach of our advocacy work. We are proud to have the support of a diverse group of funders, ranging from public to private funders, including corporations. Some examples are mentioned below. The Norwegian government, through NORAD, supports new solutions for Non-Communicable Disease management and – financing. With funding from USAID, we are supporting governments in Rwanda and Zambia to work on quality improvement and strengthening the private healthcare sector in Nigeria. Private donors such as John C. Martin Foundation are investing in improved maternal and childcare using mobile and digital technology, whereas Helmsley Charitable Trust is helping us to institutionalize SafeCare and Med4All in the Christian Health Association clinics in Ghana. Corporate Foundations are also a great support. Pfizer Foundation, through its Pfizer Fellows program, contributed an impressive number of knowledgeable staff to help build a case for investment for the health equity fund in Zanzibar and build a new business case for Med4All in Ghana. Achmea Foundation focuses on innovation and continues support that enables us to develop multiple proofs of concept providing access to better healthcare. Sanofi invests in the roll-out of patient groups suffering from non-communicable diseases and integrating these groups in the local health system and MSD for Mothers is advancing our innovative agenda, improving maternal and childcare.
“What has always impressed us about PharmAccess is its capacity to innovate in improving healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa. Since the start of our partnership in 2012, we’ve seen early innovations like SafeCare and the Medical Credit Fund grow to maturity, while PharmAccess continually developed new approaches in areas like mother-and-child care, health access, non-communicable diseases, and health data.
“This is emblematic of our approach which focuses on providing unearmarked support to our partners, giving them the room they need to experiment, innovate, and create impact for those most in need. We hope that our continued partnership will help build more ways to improve access to quality care in Africa.”
Marieke Rodenhuis, Head of Charities at the Nationale Postcode Loterij
“Innovative, multi-faceted solutions providing accessible medicines, patient education, and skills training for healthcare professionals are needed to address the increasing burden that non-communicable diseases pose for patients, communities, and healthcare systems.
“In support of the Ministry of Health of Zanzibar, we helped PharmAccess launch the Zanzibar Digital NCD Care Bundle program in March 2023 to improve health outcomes and increase efficiency in disease management for patients living with non-communicable diseases. PharmAccess’ expertise in creating innovative healthcare models that support capacity building, breaking the barriers between patients and healthcare providers with digital technologies, and using data to drive decisions will be instrumental in the success and scalability of this program.
“Cross-sector partnerships such as these are critical as we shift toward sustainable universal healthcare in Zanzibar.”
Jon Fairest, Head of the Global Health Unit at Sanofi
RESEARCH PARTNERS: Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD) | University of Ghana (Medical Centre & School of Public Health) | Maseno University | University of Nairobi | Lancet | Ghana Business School | Greater Accra Regional Hospital | 37 Military Hospital | African Population and Health Research Center | University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) | Strathmore University Business School (SBS) | KMET Kenya (Kenya Medical Training College) GOVERNMENT ENTITIES: Ministries of Health of Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, and Zanzibar | Nigeria federal government | Edo, Kwara, Delta, and Lagos state governments | Kisumu county government HEALTHCARE REGULATORY AGENCIES AND INSURERS: Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HEFRA) | Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) | National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) | Lagos State Health Scheme | National Health Insurance Fund Tanzania (NHIF Tanzania) | National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) | National Social Security Fund Tanzania (NSSF Tanzania) LOCAL ALLIANCES & PROVIDER NETWORKS: Ghana Health Service | Zanzibar Private Hospital Owners Association (ZAPHOA) | Association of Private Health Facilities in Tanzania (APHTA) | Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) | Healthcare Federation Ghana | Society for Family Health (SFH) | Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) | Christian Social Services Commission (CSSC) | Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) | East Africa Healthcare Federation (EAHF) | Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) | Baobab Circle | AAR Healthcare TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION PARTNERS: CarePay | M-PESA Foundation | Vodacom Tanzania | SafeCare | Luscii | Medical Credit Fund (MCF) | Medtronic LABS | Safaricom | Infospective | IntelliSoft INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCES & NETWORKS: World Bank Group | Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC) | Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage (JLN) | Pathfinder | NCD Alliance | Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) | Invest International | World Economic Forum (WEF) | Catholic Relief Services (CRS) | Sanford Health | Invest International | Population Services International (PSI) | MSI Reproductive Choices UK & International | Amref Health Africa | FHI 360