Bridging the health gaps

The Access to Medicine Foundation’s Director of Operations and Research, Marijn Verhoef, was interviewed for an article in BASF’s Creating Chemistry magazine on global health disparities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and the factors contributing to this divide. The article also highlights the Foundation’s efforts to stimulate pharmaceutical companies to do more for the people lacking access to medicine, notably through the publication of the Access to Medicine Index.

The article draws attention to significant variations in healthcare outcomes between high-income countries (HICs) and LMICs, citing differences in maternal mortality rates, life expectancy, and deaths due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It emphasises poverty as a key factor contributing to these disparities.

Additionally, the article features Marijn's insights on the critical issue of people in LMICs lacking access to essential medicines and vaccines, along with the impacts of these gaps in access. Marijn is quoted on how one underlying cause of unequal access to medicines is affordability, especially in countries where many patients must pay for healthcare from their own pockets. He also notes that vulnerabilities within the supply chain and pharmaceutical companies' reluctance to invest in supplying LMICs further compound disparities.

The article discusses the Access to Medicine Index and the Foundation’s work to move pharmaceutical companies in addressing access issues through the analysis of their current efforts. It underscores the impact of this work, referencing the 2022 Index in particular, which indicates that all 20 evaluated companies have adopted access-to-medicine strategies—an increase from just eight in 2010. Additionally, it points out that 77 percent of late-stage R&D projects now incorporate associated access plans.