How streamlined procurement, clear regulations can transform global healthcare

Safaricom Foundation Manager, Regulatory and Compliance Catherine Mbuthia hands over a modern lab machine to Dr Faith Masenge (far right) Ngong Sub-County Hospital Superintendent on Jan 27, 2025. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

The fact that over 2 billion people worldwide still lack access to essential and life-saving medicines is not just a statistic - it's a global failure.

This inequity isn't due to a lack of innovation or medical breakthroughs. Medicines exist. The expertise exists. What's missing is a system capable of delivering these life-saving treatments to the people who need them most. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where over 80 per cent of the world's population live, systemic barriers - regulatory complexity, fragmented supply chains, high cost of capital, and challenges in procurement - prevent millions from accessing even the most basic care.