Driving Health Equity: Renewed Partnership with mPharma tackles health barriers in Kenya

Boehringer Ingelheim has renewed its partnership with mPharma, a technology-driven healthcare company that improves access to medicine in Africa, to grow the impact of one of its ‘Access to Healthcare’ initiatives in Kenya. This initiative, which focuses on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, hypertension, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), reflects our unwavering commitment to supporting individuals affected by health barriers that impede their access to care.

Improving access to healthcare in Kenya

 As part of our Sustainable Development for Generations framework, the ‘Access to Healthcare’ initiative in Kenya aims to improve healthcare in underserved communities. The initiative covers multiple areas including disease awareness, diagnosis, effective prevention, treatment, and improving the availability of certain medicines to NCD patients. By running a comprehensive program that includes screenings and follow-ups, we strive to ensure that quality healthcare reaches those most in need while promoting well-being and long-term health outcomes. 

Through targeted efforts and collaborative partnerships, we have extensively screened over 30,000 patients to date, making significant progress in addressing NCDs in underserved communities in Kenya. This aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 3.4, which targets to reduce premature deaths resulting from NCDs by one third by the year 2030. A COPD patient on the program testifies: “I have been on the program for one year and doing well on the treatment. The program has been very helpful to me as I used to struggle to afford purchasing the drug. The coaching has helped me and has given me good results.” 

A sustained commitment to addressing health barriers 

In collaboration with mPharma, we introduced an updated governance model, which includes the deployment of two on-ground initiative experts. These experts play a pivotal role in raising awareness and fostering community engagement to ensure the program benefits reach those who need them the most. Currently, the program is engaging in an ambitious endeavor to map out hospitals across Kenya, laying the groundwork for more inclusive, comprehensive, and equitable healthcare delivery.

“Together, we are not only staying true to Boehringer’s deep-rooted purpose of transforming lives for generations but also shaping a future where health equity is a fundamental right for all”, says Naa Akwetey, Chief Operating Officer at mPharma. 

“As we move forward with renewed vigor and determination, we will continue gathering insights and improving our ways of working to build healthier and more resilient communities,” states Ayman Eissa, Director Sustainability Activation at Boehringer. “By partnering for success, we are confident that we can bridge gaps and reduce barriers to NCD care, contributing to a future where people have the opportunity to thrive and excel in better health.” 

(Status: March 2024)