Partnerships are vital to our work at PharmAccess: we work collaboratively, each bringing our strengths and expertise to the shared goal of creating a virtuous cycle of trust in sub-Saharan healthcare systems.
We have a wide range of partnerships with public and private organizations, with a shared belief that we can, and should, do healthcare differently.
Private sector healthcare provider associations have been a key partner for many years, such as the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), the Association of Private Health Facilities (APHFTA) in Tanzania, and KMET in Kisumu, Kenya, have hundreds of member facilities across their respective countries.
We also continue to strengthen and build capacity for organizations like the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) and the Zanzibar Private Hospital Owners Association (ZAPHOA) to enable private sector compliment government’s UHC efforts. Through these partnerships, services like the Medical Credit Fund loans, SafeCare's certification, and healthcare financing products like MomCare can expand to the regional or national level.
Collaboration with county and state governments and social health insurance including Lagos and Kwara in Nigeria, the National Health Insurance Association in Ghana, the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, and the County Government of Kisumu ensure social inclusion of poor populations.
Our collaboration with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands is our key partner that has enabled us, through the Health Insurance Fund, to develop transformative healthcare financing approaches to strengthen the demand and supply of healthcare systems. In addition, their support provides us the opportunity to leverage additional funding from public and private entities worldwide.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Dutch government is scaling up its efforts in the field of global health with the Dutch Global Health Strategy 2023-2030. The strategy aims to contribute to coordinated efforts in improving public health around the world. With a focus on unlocking the power of digitalization, private sector inclusion, and blended financing models, we are proud to be recognized as a key partner in achieving this mission.
Additionally, we are grateful to be a permanent beneficiary of the Dutch National Postcode Lottery (NPL): Since 2015, the NPL has provided unearmarked funding to support PharmAccess’ activities to strengthen health systems in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2025, our impact was recognized, with the Lottery’s decision to increase its annual contribution to PharmAccess, a much-appreciated boost in times where development financing is becoming scarcer. The Lottery's unrestricted funding allows PharmAccess to invest in early-stage innovative approaches and proof-of-concept solutions that improve access to better quality healthcare in the countries where we operate. One example of such a project is designing a new value-based care model for hypertension.
Dr. Gregory Ganda, County Minister for Health (Kisumu County) meets Yvette van Eechoud, Deputy Director General (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs) at the Dutch LSH Trade Mission in Kenya - hosted by Task Force Health Care, the Dutch Embassy and the Dutch Enterprise Agency, in partnership with PharmAccess
Coalitions for collective action
Health system change requires collective action, and we are therefore active members of leading coalitions at a national and global level. This enables us to advocate for best practices and pool resources to drive lasting impact.
In the Netherlands, we co-lead the Dutch Global Health Hub, to support the government in implementing their global health strategy, while through the Dutch Global Health Alliance we advance joint advocacy to help ensure the Dutch government continues to finance global health and digitalization. PharmAccess is also a member of the Dutch Task Force for Health Care and the Netherlands African Business Council – Dutch private sector associations for healthcare and trade with Africa respectively. Across our focus countries we participate in similar networks and partnerships, uniting stakeholders to hold governments accountable and advance sustainable and inclusive healthcare models.
Especially in the combi-track for Kenya, our partnership with Kisumu County, CarePay and Delft Imaging is enabling public private partnerships that stimulate economic development both in Kenya and for Dutch companies.
In 2024, our partnerships also brought an impact a regional level, helping advance an Africa wide position on health data governance through Africa CDC’s Health Data Governance Working Group and continued to building the Africa Digital Health Network (ADHN). At the international level, our advocacy is connected with the United Nations (UN), World Health Organization (WHO), World Economic Forum, and leading global coalitions such as UHC2030, Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition, Transform Health, Digital Transformations for Health Lab (DHTLab) and the Digital Connected Care Coalition (DCCC), helping to shape and advance the global agenda around digital health and data use.
Initiated by PharmAccess and Philips in 2019, the Digital Connected Care Coalition (DCCC) brings together diverse stakeholders to accelerate digital health transformation as a pathway to UHC in low- and middle-income countries. In 2024, the DCCC co-hosted a panel with the Geneva Digital Health Hub and the World Economic Forum during the World Health Assembly, spotlighting transformative partnerships.
Financial partners and donors
Our donors share our purpose of improving equitable access to quality care for all, and in many cases, they are well-established in the health sector. In addition to funding, they contribute expertise, facilitate new collaborations, and expand the reach of our advocacy work. We are proud to have the support of a diverse group of funders, ranging from public to private funders, including corporations. Some examples are mentioned here.
The Norwegian government, through Norad, supports new solutions for non-communicable disease (NCD) management and financing. Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) has contributed to the development of SafeCare’s “green” standards.
Private donors such as John C. Martin Foundation are investing in improved maternal and childcare using mobile and digital technology and data sharing, and Helmsley Charitable Trust is helping us to institutionalize SafeCare and Med4All in the Christian Health Association clinics in Ghana. With support from the Gates Foundation and the Swiss Capacity Building Facility, we are expanding digital loans to Tanzania and Ghana respectively.
Corporate Foundations are also a great support. The Pfizer Foundation, through its Pfizer Fellows program, contributed an impressive number of knowledgeable staff to help build a case for investment for the health equity fund in Zanzibar and build a new business case for Med4All in Ghana. Achmea Foundation focuses on innovation and continued support that enables us to develop multiple proofs of concept providing access to better healthcare, such as developing a pharmacy-first model for connected diagnostics in Nigeria. Sanofi invests in the rollout of patient groups suffering from non-communicable diseases and integrating these groups in the local health system, and MSD for Mothers is advancing our innovative agenda, improving maternal and childcare and helping us expand SafeCare to India. With funding from Swiss Re, we are supporting the Government of Zanzibar to institutionalize quality improvement in all public and private health facilities across the islands.
In an era of shrinking global development budgets, the continued backing of our donors is more vital than ever. Long-term commitments are essential to sustain our mission, invest in bold, early-stage innovations, and build resilient health systems that serve the most vulnerable.
"In these challenging times, as global development funding declines, it is vital to invest in organizations that drive real, lasting change. PharmAccess is one of those organizations. Their unwavering belief that everyone, everywhere, deserves access to quality healthcare mirrors our own values at the National Postcode Lottery. By supporting PharmAccess, we support stronger, healthier communities — communities that can build their own brighter futures. It is this transformative, human-centered approach that inspires us and reaffirms our commitment to standing with PharmAccess in creating real impact where it matters most."
Marieke Rodenhuis, Head of Charities at the Nationale Postcode Loterij
RESEARCH PARTNERS: Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD) | University of Ghana (Medical Centre & School of Public Health) | Maseno University | University of Nairobi | Lancet | Ghana Business School | Greater Accra Regional Hospital | 37 Military Hospital | African Population and Health Research Center | University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) | Strathmore University Business School (SBS) | KMET Kenya (Kenya Medical Training College) GOVERNMENT ENTITIES: Ministries of Health of Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, and Zanzibar | Nigeria federal government | Edo, Kwara, Delta, and Lagos state governments | Kisumu county government HEALTHCARE REGULATORY AGENCIES AND INSURERS: Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HEFRA) | Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) | National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) | Lagos State Health Scheme | National Health Insurance Fund Tanzania (NHIF Tanzania) | National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) | National Social Security Fund Tanzania (NSSF Tanzania) LOCAL ALLIANCES & PROVIDER NETWORKS: Ghana Health Service | Zanzibar Private Hospital Owners Association (ZAPHOA) | Association of Private Health Facilities in Tanzania (APHTA) | Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) | Healthcare Federation Ghana | Society for Family Health (SFH) | Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) | Christian Social Services Commission (CSSC) | Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) | East Africa Healthcare Federation (EAHF) | Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) | Baobab Circle | AAR Healthcare TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION PARTNERS: CarePay | M-PESA Foundation | Vodacom Tanzania | SafeCare | Luscii | Medical Credit Fund (MCF) | Medtronic LABS | Safaricom | Infospective | IntelliSoft INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCES & NETWORKS: World Bank Group | Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC) | Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage (JLN) | Pathfinder | NCD Alliance | Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) | Invest International | World Economic Forum (WEF) | Catholic Relief Services (CRS) | Sanford Health | Invest International | Population Services International (PSI) | MSI Reproductive Choices UK & International | Amref Health Africa | FHI 360