About PharmAccess

A non-profit organization based in Amsterdam, focused on expanding access to quality healthcare.  

Key activities:  

  • Mobilising resources: bringing together public & private funds to serve healthcare providers and patients.  
  • Health financing & insurance: developing low-cost insurance platforms & pre-payment 
  • Loans & business support for private providers: providing credits and business development support 
  • Quality standsards & improvement: introducing SafeCare standards for clinics/hospitals, enabling benchmarking & systematic improvement. 
  • Digital health/mobile technology: connecting mobile phones + data to connect patients, providers, financing & information 
  • Research & evidence: carrying out operational and impact research in African health systems to test, scale and learn.  

Key themes: 

  • Inclusive health systems 
  • Data are key 
  • Private & public synergy 
  • Scalability & sustainability 
  • Technology driven 

Collaborations with GHH-partners

  • AIGHD (Amsterdam Institute for Global Health & Development): research partner on antibiotic prescriptions in primary care in Nairobi. (among others) 
  • Amref Health Africa/Flying doctors: implementation partner for programmes in Kenya, such as i-PUSH, which connects half a million kenyans to national hospital insurance fund (NHIF) through mobile platform M-TIBA. Its about healthcare financing, quality care and lifestyle support directly through their mobile phones. iPUSH aims to strengthen the healthcare system in Kenya and provide access to affordable, quality healthcare. 
  • Health Insurance Fund (HIF): implementation partner / financing partner. Working together on health-financing, insurance for low income groups in Africa. 
  • Philips: financial partner to finance small and medium-sized private clinics in Africa, enabling them to get access to medical equipment and improve healthcare quality. 
  • Delft Imaging: Safe Mama Tech- improving maternal & child health by deploying digital tools. 

Overview of characteristics

Active in countries 

Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania: country office – office that is leading in solutions and services to strengthen local healthcare market.  

Community of practice (CoP):  

  • Community of Practice 1: Strengthening Health systems (CO lead) 

Themes and subthemes within CoP 

  • Mobilising public & private funding (health funding): sustainable financing/access to primary healthcare 
  • Improving healthcare quality: access to primary healthcare 
  • Digital innovation & data & technology: international coherence + multilateral cooperation via data sharing 
  • Financial support for private health-care supply via loans, business support etc.: supporting health system capacity = access to primary healthcare 
  • Research, evidence & advocacy: aids multilateral cooperation 
  • Inclusive health care (equity, access): central to access to primary health care. 

Organization type:

NGO 

Available resources 

  • Knowledge & expertise: Field-based expertise in health system strengthening, digital health innovation, health financing and quality improvement in sub-saharan Africa. Examples: developing & implementing health insurance & prepayment schemes, SafeCare: a set of standards & tools to help clinics measure and improve care quality. 
  • Networks: connector between governments, private sector, healthcare providers, financial institutions, communities. Examples: local authorities, donors and private (Philips). 
  • Influence & advocacy capacity: data-driven model and partnerships to influence how health financing, quality assurance, and digital health are structured. Thought leadership, annual progress reports influence local government via local offices. 
  • Financial resource & access to funding: substantial financial resources through blended financing, donor partnerships and impact investments. (see annual report) Like Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, Achmea foundation & BuZa. 
  • Coordination & implementation capacity: by combining research, implementation, financing and digital systems, PharmAccess can coordinate large-scale, multi-actor health programs. Examples: country offices, digital platforms like M-TIBA, coordination of donor-funded programs with multiple partners (iPUSH, M-TIBA, Safe Mama Tech)  

Contact information

Website PharmAccess: PharmAccess | Home