20 years ago, the late Prof Joep Lange founded PharmAccess, with the goal to make HIV/AIDS treatment available in Africa. Now 20 years later universal health coverage (UHC) is integrated in most African countries’ health strategies.

20-year PharmAccess is a moment to express our thanks to the commitment of our partners – from healthcare providers to policy makers, from businesses to investors - for bettering Africa’s healthcare systems. Together we have impacted the lives of millions of patients and thousands of healthcare workers to provide better care for their communities.

But even more, our 20-year anniversary is about looking ahead. 

Because despite the promise of universal health coverage (UHC), many in Africa are still waiting to receive access to quality and affordable healthcare.

PharmAccess therefore uses its anniversary to address the biggest hurdles facing UHC in Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Kenya.

Through a series of events, the country teams aim to create a breakthrough in decision making and to fast-track health system transformation. With the events as starting point, we ask for bold commitments and actions from all our stakeholders to achieve our goal: making inclusive healthcare markets work in Africa.

 

Slide 1

5000 healthcare providers have worked with us to improve their quality of care.

Slide 2

Over 4.5M people connected to clinics in their area

Slide 3

6400 loans to health providers, to grow and upgrade their services

Slide 4

18M people obtained access to health insurance through PharmAccess supported programs

Slide 5

Public sector collaborations on healthcare digitalization in Kwara, Lagos, Kisumu and Kakamega state

Slide 6

Analysing healthcare utulization and monitoring disease outbreaks through health data of millions of people

The 20 years initiatives

Slide 1

The NHIS Data Day has been the first event where health claims data insights, analyzed by PharmAccess, were shared with all key health stakeholders and the public.

Slide 2

Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby, Chief Executive of NHIA stated in her presentation that social auditing, transparency and accountability remain the authority's topmost priority, emphasizing her wish to continue the national digitalization drive.

Slide 3

PharmAccess Ghana continues to provide technical assistance to help achieving the goals set by NHIA, including financial sustainability, smooth digital claim processing and 80% population coverage for health insurance.

Ghana: Data Analytics for better Health

In Ghana, PharmAccess works with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and provides Technical Assistance on its active membership base of over 12 million Ghanaians. A seminar with experts and investors will provide data analytics best practices in healthcare and encourages all stakeholders to adapt a data-driven approach, to enhance the impact and sustainability.

Read more about the 'NHIA Data Day'.

 

Nigeria: mobilizing funds for health

In Nigeria, expert sessions are organized to discuss the dire shortages in healthcare, leading to - according to the WHO - a health system ranking of the fourth worst in the world. The session evolves around prioritization and requests a commitment from a large variety of health actors to mobilize funds for health.

Read more about the round table discussions in Lagos, Kwara and FCT- Abuja.

Slide 1

In Lagos, stakeholders discussed new, sustainable ways of domestic resource mobilization for health, such as the use of sin taxes and ring-fenced health funds. They agreed on the need for public-private partnerships as the government alone cannot cater for all health needs.

Slide 2

The event in Kwara has been the first where all relevant health bodies in the state came together, joined by representatives of trusted civil society groups. Together they discussed their abilities to help mobilizing more resources for health.

Slide 3

In Abuja, during the UHC Summit, stakeholders commended a countercyclical approach on health spending like during the COVID pandemic. They advocated for more accountability, the removal of inefficient subsidies and instead, redirecting them to healthcare.

Slide 1

The discussions during the lunch meeting in Zanzibar brought together policy makers, implementers, developmental partners, and private sector representatives to share their experiences on sustainable health financing.

Slide 2

Country Director Dr. Heri Marwa, emphasized the need to have carefully planned strategies to avoid leaving behind the most vulnerable groups. These include increased government spending, considering one’s ability to pay instead of subsidizing specific groups, improved quality regulation, public-private partnerships and community awareness on health insurance.

Slide 3

Speeches informed the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar about initiatives to accelerate achievement of universal health coverage (UHC). The event was later captured on national TV.

Tanzania: scaling financing models that work

In Tanzania, an event took place in Zanzibar around sustainable health financing and quality improvement. Over the past years PharmAccess developed models to improve access to and utilization of health services, particularly among the poor. Now it is time to scale models that have proven its effectiveness.

Read more about the event in Zanzibar.

Kenya: Synergizing innovation for better health

In Kenya, mobile and digital technology have improved efficiency in all sectors, including healthcare. During the events in Kisumu County and Nairobi, health stakeholders came together to find synergy, discuss financial commitments and grow impact for a better delivery of care.

Read more about the main event - 'Digitalizing health at scale',  joined by the Cabinet Secretary for Health.

 

Slide 1

His excellency Prof. Anyang Nyongo, Governor of Kisumu County, signed a MOU with PharmAcess to further progress the health financing partnership engagement, Kisumu Marwa.

Slide 2

During the panel session 'Leveraging Private investment in the health sector for sustainable development in Kisumu', participants discussed ways to speed up our advances to the SDGs such as setting up super specialty services and health centers of excellence.

Slide 3

PharmAccess Country Director Dr. Wasunna provided a keynote speech, followed by a cake cutting moment to celebrate the PharmAccess anniversary.

News & Publications

How PharmAccess dashboard helped target immediate malaria action in Kisumu, Kenya
Malaria remains Africa’s deadliest disease. The 2024 WHO World Malaria Report reported 263 million global malaria cases and nearly 600,000 deaths—95% of them in Africa.Read more
23 April 2025 News
Research Brief: Digital and Mobile-Based Chronic Care Model in Kenya
Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as hypertension and diabetes, pose a significant burden on healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In Kenya, high NCD prevalence rates combined with limited access to treatment contribute to poor health outcomes. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) aims to provide equitable access to care, but achieving this for chronic disease management requires innovative healthcare delivery and financing models.Read more
26 March 2025 News
The shift in thinking about development aid is noticeable everywhere during the state visit of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima to Kenya. ‘We have been too dependent on Western NGOs and governments.’
‘Seeing Kenya from the air is simply magical,’ says King Willem-Alexander on stage at the state banquet at the State House, the official residence of Kenyan President William Ruto. The night before, the King had personally landed the government aircraft. ‘The light, the colors, the expansive views,’ he continues — the background filled with the chirping sounds of geckos. ‘But Kenya from the ground is even more impressive. Because that’s where you experience the incredible strength of the people who live here and cultivate the land.’Read more
21 March 2025 News
Dutch Minster for Foreign Trade and Development Aid visits PharmAccess, CarePay and partners in Kenya to learn how digital solutions are innovating global healthcare
Nairobi, March 17, 2025 – Dutch Minister for Trade and Development Aid, Reinette Klever, today visited PharmAccess, CarePay and partners to learn how digital data-driven innovations and Dutch investments are transforming healthcare in Kenya and beyond. The visit was part of the Dutch economic mission to Kenya, held in parallel to the State Visit led by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima of The Netherlands.Read more
18 March 2025 News