The Problem

The Access to Medicine Foundation estimates that around 2 billion people worldwide lack access to essential medicines. In many African countries, where access to affordable, high-quality medicines remains out-of-reach, the cost of distributing medicines to health facilities and healthcare workers in rural areas is 2-3 times higher than in high-income countries. These barriers to accessing medicines at the nearest health facility force patients to travel further and buy their medicines out-of-pocket, increasing the risk of catastrophic health expenditures. Many times, patients suffer from treatable conditions and delays to treatment are even more detrimental for those suffering from chronic illnesses and non-communicable diseases. There is an urgent need in countries with such fragile medical supply chain systems, to (re)design a medicines distribution system that works for the neediest.