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:
In late September the United Nations held the Third High Level Meeting on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in New York. The gathering comes at a critical time. Accelerating the response to address NCDs for the health and well-being of present and future generations is one of the key global health challenges of today.
The team at the panel discussion in New York City
Addressing these challenges, while also exploring opportunities for NCD prevention worldwide, Dr Edward Omete, PharmAccess medical advisor in Kenya, participated in panel discussions as part of General Assembly week. These were hosted by Access Accelerated and International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations.
Sitting alongside political representatives from Burkina Faso and the WHO High-Level Commission on NCDs, the panels reflected on the need create sustainable, locally-owned NCD solutions. Dr Omete presented M-TIBA and the opportunities of mobile platforms to create scalable models for NCD care. He outlined how a new partnership between PharmAccess Foundation, CarePay and Sanofi the Ngao Ya Afya (“Shield for Health”) program, will provide an innovative patient-focused solution in Kenya to enhance access to affordable and quality diabetes and hypertension care .
Through Shield for Health, patients with hypertension and diabetes get access to care through an M-TIBA health wallet and get access to self-management tools to track and manage their condition including lifestyle and adherence support and incentives, remote communication with physicians. Value of care is further improved through M-TIBA data informed decision-making tools that assist doctors to provide quality care.
Speaking at the World Health Summit in Berlin shortly after the UN General Assembly, PharmAccess Medical Director Marleen Hendriks expressed the view that technology is crucial for scaling up of the NCD response, “There a not enough doctors and there is not enough money to treat all the patients with NCDs in the world with traditional care models. We have to move to solutions in which patients self-manage their condition where possible and mobile solutions can play an important role in facilitation this.” Dr Hendriks made the remarks during a panel discussion on an integrated response to obesity, diabetes, and NCDs.
