PharmAccess is a group of non-profit organizations dedicated to improving access to quality healthcare in Africa. PharmAccess mobilizes public and private resources for the benefit of doctors and patients through clinical standards and quality improvements, loans for healthcare providers, health insurance, mHealth innovations and operational research.
This integrated approach is made possible by the following organizations:
The Nigeria office opened in 2007…
with a vision to increase access to affordable and better healthcare for people in sub-Saharan Africa. Today, the Nigeria office is thriving with a multidisciplinary team of medical doctors, nurses, and other specialists.
PharmAccess Nigeria aims to be an innovator and catalyst for practical changes that can be scaled to enable more access to better healthcare services for all Nigerians. Its interventions include improvements in innovative financing mechanisms such as health insurance, quality standards for quality improvement and quality assurance in the healthcare delivery system using our ISQua accredited standards SafeCare. In addition, the Medical Credit Fund (MCF) has a strong presence in Nigeria to enable access to finance for the healthcare sector. MCF is a blended financing vehicle that collaborates with local financial institutions to provide access to credit in the private health sector.
PharmAccess Nigeria works closely with both private and international development partners to achieve universal health coverage by 2030 through strategic partnerships and collaborations. Including the Health Federation of Nigeria (HFN), a coalition of Nigerian private healthcare sector stakeholders that advocates for the health sector in Nigeria.
Our activities include:
Our goal is to provide technical assistance to states seeking to operationalize their mandatory health insurance law; deepen engagements with federal and state Ministries of Health and primary healthcare development agencies to scale SafeCare methodology in Nigeria; leverage on the digital and mobile technology innovations to achieve scale; work with the state government to design and roll out the Access to Finance Scheme for Health SMEs under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
From our office, we offer a range of solutions and services to strengthen the healthcare market in Nigeria including:
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Health Plans
Reducing out-of-pocket expenditure through insurance or other forms of pre-payment offers financial protection and peace of mind to people in case they fall ill. The Nigeria office works with several partners and regions to offer health insurance solutions.
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Loans and Business support
Medical Credit Fund can help your healthcare facility apply for loans to invest in your facility and improve your services.
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SafeCare Quality Improvement
Empowers healthcare providers in Nigeria to measure and provide better quality services to their patients using internationally accredited standards specifically developed for sub-Saharan Africa. SafeCare employs local solutions for achievement and creates a platform for transparency, bench-marking, and self-regulation. Being a patient-centered methodology, patients and their families are assured of quality care.
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Supporting State Governments to Implement State Health Insurance Schemes
PharmAccess supports state governments, including Lagos and Kwara state, to achieve UHC by technically assisting the rollout of its mandatory State Health Insurance Scheme, enabling improvement in the quality of care being delivered and innovations in healthcare delivery.
Learn moreIn addition we support partner projects tackling specific healthcare challenges including:
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DFID Lafiya
PharmAccess is a specialist partner for Lafiya, UK’s health program to improve health outcomes for the most vulnerable in Nigeria.
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IntegratE
IntegratE is a USAID project to improve the regulation, skills and referral mechanisms of pharmacists and medicine vendors.
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Mobile Application for Tuberculosis Screening (MATS)
MATS leverages digital and mobile technologies to scale up tuberculosis screening and treatment to reduce the disease burden in Nigeria.
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Global Fund RSSH program
PharmAccess supports The Global Fund with a pilot in Lagos State to improve HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment across 70 facilities.
Learn moreA short film on our work in Nigeria..
The Nigerian healthcare market is stuck in a vicious cycle of low and unpredictable demand, low and uncertain quality of supply and inadequate investments. To reverse this vicious cycle, PharmAccess seeks to stimulate demand for health services, improve the supply of quality, and enhancing access to capital for healthcare providers. We are committed to making inclusive health markets work in Nigeria.
Access to healthcare through public-private partnership
The Access to Finance Scheme is a framework designed to encourage Public-Private-Partnership between State government and Private healthcare provider with the sole aim of providing affordable and quality healthcare in government owned health infrastructures which are defunct and dilapidated but with the massive potential of catering to a large community under a planned health insurance system. The scheme’s underlying strength is bringing private sector funding in a positive alignment with the government’s insurance and regulatory layout over a given period. Click here for a short documentary on the Access to Finance Scheme and click here for a video on an Orthopedic Hospital receiving its first CT and MRI scan thanks to the partnership.
The Healthcare Management Program
Healthcare Management Programme, HMP, is a certificate programme designed to build the capacity of healthcare professionals in the key areas of quality, business, finance, operations, patient-centered care, and inventory management. Since its inception, a total of 118 healthcare professionals have been trained in 5 cohorts of the HMP. In addition to all the other interventions of PharmAccess in Nigeria, the HMP is another expression of its passion to ensure that every Nigerian has access to quality healthcare services.
Partnerships that make a difference
“I tried to get a loan from a bank before, but it didn’t work out. The interest rate was very high, it was just too expensive. Then I heard about Medical Credit Fund. Through them, I was able to get my first affordable loan from Diamond Bank. We really needed to expand our stock to meet the growing demand from clients for both over-the-counter and prescription drugs.
We also renovated the place – I invested in good shelves, made more room for displays and put more products at eyelevel. We installed new lighting, retiled the floor and painted the whole pharmacy. Since then, we have had a steady growth of clients and revenues. We used to have between 95 and 120 walk-ins a day, but now we see about 170 clients. Some days, it can even be up to 200. As a community pharmacy, we play an important role. For a lot of people in Nigeria, the pharmacy is the first line of care when you’re sick.”
– Mrs. Ada Okorie, owner and manager of Julie Harrison Pharmacy
Meet the team
Latest news from Nigeria…
Contact us to discover how our products and services can help you:
Njide Ndili
Uzodinma Kenneth Osisiogu
Dr. Ibironke Dada
Emeka Ajanwachuku
Somto Mbelu
Rahmat’ Oropo
