Boehringer Ingelheim, MEDS partner to improve access to Diabetes and Hypertension treatment in Kenya

In a major push to improve access to life-saving medications for Kenyans living with type 2 diabetes and hypertension, pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim has signed a partnership agreement with the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS).

The collaboration, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), seeks to expand Boehringer Ingelheim’s ‘Access to Healthcare’ program, ensuring more patients in underserved communities receive affordable treatment while strengthening local healthcare systems.

For Kenya, where non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for an estimated 27 per cent of all deaths, the agreement represents a significant step toward bridging the healthcare gap.

The ‘Access to Healthcare’ initiative, launched in September 2022, has already engaged over 200 physicians, enrolled more than 1,500 patients, and established collaborations with 15 healthcare facilities across the country.

Now, with MEDS onboard, the program is expected to offer subsidized pricing models for crucial medications and fostering awareness campaigns to encourage early diagnosis and adherence to treatment.

“At Boehringer Ingelheim, we believe that access to quality healthcare is a fundamental right,” said Derek O’Leary, Regional Managing Director at Boehringer Ingelheim in India, Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (IMETA), during the signing ceremony in Nairobi.

“Our ‘Access to Healthcare’ program is designed to bridge the gap for underserved communities, ensuring that patients receive life-saving treatments at subsidized costs. This partnership with MEDS is a game-changer in our mission to combat the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in Kenya. By working together, we are delivering hope, improving lives, and building a more resilient healthcare system for the future to transform lives for generations.”

For many patients in Kenya, managing conditions like diabetes and hypertension is not just a matter of securing medication—it’s about affording it consistently. The partnership with MEDS aims to ease this burden by leveraging the organization’s extensive distribution network to make Boehringer Ingelheim’s treatments more accessible at reduced costs.

In addition to medicine distribution, both organizations will work to raise awareness of these diseases through community-driven education programs.

Boehringer Ingelheim’s broader mission, encapsulated in its ‘Sustainable Development for Generations’ framework, aligns closely with global efforts to address disparities in healthcare.

“We believe that sustainable healthcare solutions require long-term commitment, strategic partnerships, and a deep understanding of local needs,” said Hale Asikoglu-Erkol, Head of Sustainable Development for Generations at Boehringer Ingelheim in IMETA.

“The MoU with MEDS will help us in our ambition to expand access to healthcare for people in underserved communities and enable a healthier, sustainable, and more equitable future for patients in Kenya.”

The urgency of these efforts is underscored by Kenya’s growing burden of NCDs, which continue to strain an already overstretched healthcare system. Many patients rely on sporadic or incomplete treatments due to financial barriers, increasing the risk of complications that could otherwise be prevented with early intervention and proper disease management.

“At MEDS, we are committed to providing underserved communities in Kenya with medications that will improve their health outcomes,” said Dr. Stephen Kigera, speaking on behalf of MEDS management.

“Through this partnership, we hope to be able to provide eligible type 2 diabetes and hypertension patients with the latest innovations in treatment from Boehringer Ingelheim. We also hope to raise awareness of these diseases to encourage early diagnosis and treatment in efforts to preserve quality of life for patients in Kenya.”

Boehringer Ingelheim’s long-term vision extends beyond Kenya. By 2030, the company aims to expand healthcare access for 50 million people in underserved communities worldwide.

It has pledged to invest €35 billion in health innovation and research to tackle non-communicable diseases, along with an additional €250 million in partnerships aimed at combating emerging infectious diseases.

For patients across Kenya, the partnership offers a promise: that the life-saving medications they need will not remain out of reach, and that early detection and sustained treatment can become the norm rather than the exception.