Boehringer Ingelheim Access to Healthcare Strategy – Our 2025 Manifesto
Around 400 million people today lack access to essential health services, which is inextricably linked to poverty, inequality, uneven distribution and lack of resources. Therefore, Boehringer Ingelheim is driven by the desire to serve mankind by improving human and animal health – and developed a three-pillar framework to approach critical unmet challenges in global public health.
Our idea
Since we as a global and diverse group of companies and people feel committed to our communities and have a high respect for our resources, we continue to develop breakthrough therapies and healthcare solutions in areas of unmet medical need; access is core to our business and values. Our aim is to deliver more health to humans, animals, and communities around the world by building unique initiatives, both commercial and philanthropic, based on partnerships and local empowerment.
In an effort to meet our aspiration, we developed a three-pillar framework to increase overall access to safe, quality, and effective prevention and care; to identify the socio-economic and environmental determinants of health; and to help improving universal health coverage.
Our approach
Our three-pillar approach starts with a sharp focus on Availability, by enabling and ensuring the supply of essential innovative treatments through ongoing scientific discovery for unmet need; effective and ethical regulatory and operational frameworks; secure distribution systems; and structured donations programs.
Secondly, we champion Sustainable Access Models, and continue to work on novel and differentiated solutions to facilitate sustainable access to healthcare for those who need it. Finally, we work on the conception and deployment of Innovative Solutions for Awareness and Adherence. We believe that access to health begins when local communities are committed to take control of their own well-being. We want to prevent illness, before looking to cure it. Our goal is therefore to become a leading partner in the development of integrated, people-centered health solutions to help equip underserved communities with sufficient knowledge, expertise, infrastructure and means to ensure their ongoing access to health.
Our actions towards 2025
As a research-based pharmaceutical company, Boehringer Ingelheim stands out for its One Health approach to improving both animal and human health.
In all that we do within human health, we maximize our impact by concentrating our efforts in the areas we know best. Non-communicable diseases make up 85% of our medicines portfolio. These ‘chronic diseases’ are together responsible for the deaths of 31 million people in low- and middle-income countries, growing number – we know our treatments can save increasing numbers of lives.
From our animal health approach, we recognize that when animals are healthy, humans are healthier too. Many infectious diseases are transmissible between animals and humans. In low- and middle-income countries livestock are also a vital source of nutrition and income. Diseases can have devastating effects on local communities. We already provide treatments to animals in 150 countries around the world. Our aim is to ensure an ever-greater reach.
By putting our three strategic pillars into action through an access to healthcare pilot program in Kenya, we are exploring and evaluating differentiated approaches and models for broadening healthcare access for underserved communities within and across countries. By 2025, we aim to have taken what we have learned and extended best practice to many current and new markets. Our vision is to be a leader in ensuring improved access in low- and middle-income countries. We believe a healthier world means better business for all.