Healthcare access disparities exist across a spectrum of financial, geographic, cultural, and social challenges. High out-of-pocket costs, even for patients with insurance, are a huge barrier to accessing healthcare. When people must choose between paying for food and rent or paying for healthcare, many forgo healthcare. It is an unacceptable choice disproportionately affecting people from low-income and low-middle-income countries. At Tulia Health we work with our clients to formulate strategy and develop interventions that help address the high cost of accessing healthcare.
Proximity to health products, technologies and services is another top barrier. This has become mission-critical across the care continuum. Transportation (inability to travel due to cost or physical condition) and work-related concerns (inability to take time off due to financial implications) are key limitations on patients’ ability to access treatment and preventive care. The ability to access healthcare, including whether it is available, timely, convenient, and affordable, affects healthcare utilization. To alleviate these challenges, Tulia Health works with clients to expand technology uptake where clinically possible, such as telehealth and portable point-of-care devices in addition to offering advisory services on potential solutions.
Across sub-Saharan Africa, health infrastructure is unevenly distributed, with major gaps in the coverage of rural areas, and often of poor quality. Additionally, only half of primary health care facilities have access to clean water and adequate sanitation and a third have access to reliable electricity as reported on AfDB’s Strategy for Quality Health Infrastructure in Africa (2022-2030). To build resilient health systems, investing in infrastructure is imperative. Limited health workforce capacity that is also unevenly distributed compounds the issue. Tulia Health works with the Ministry of Health and private sector to conceptualize, develop and implement health infrastructure turnkey projects to promote equitable access to quality health services.