Philips' model community life center in Kenya

Improving people’s access to health care means more than building a concrete structure, equipping it with medical equipment and staffing it with a few health workers. Without a long-term view and plan, that structure would eventually crumble as funding dries up, equipment stop working and health care workers look for other opportunities. This is why Philips isn’t only looking at how to reach and address the needs of the community in Githurai, Kenya, where it set up its first Community Life Center, a health facility aimed at improving people’s access to primary health care services. In collaboration with multiple stakeholders in the community, it has also looked at ways on how the health facility can cut down costs and become less reliant on government or external support. Watch the video above to learn more about Philips’ approach to health care. Making Markets Work is an online conversation to explore what’s being done to make global health care markets accessible to people at the base of the pyramid. Over 10 weeks, Devex and its partners — The Abraaj Group, Philips and Population Services International — will amplify the discussion around effective health financing, analyze key challenges blocking universal market access in the health care supply chain, and explore the key strategies to make markets more effective. Join us as we look at this important issue, and share your thoughts by tagging #MakingMarketsWork and @Devex.