Democratizing
Access
to Care

Redesigning Care, Reshaping Access

Around the world, too many people struggle to get the care they need. Barriers like limited health workers, medicine shortages, high costs, and long travel distances make it especially hard for rural and marginalized communities. But there are exciting opportunities to close this gap.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed how technology can transform health care delivery. Telemedicine connects health workers to patients wherever they are, while AI-powered tools help diagnose and treat illnesses faster, even without specialists. Non-traditional models like self-care solutions and family-supported approaches help individuals take charge of their health in ways that fit their lives.

At Jhpiego, health workers are central to our mission and our process for democratizing access to care. We work directly with them to design solutions that reflect their firsthand insights and better serve clients. When appropriate, we collaborate with local design firms to ensure solutions are contextually relevant and locally owned. We also partner with governments, who drive and benefit from service-delivery innovations that reduce the burden on overstretched health systems and lower costs for everyone. Together, we are democratizing care—bringing quality care closer to home, making it more affordable, and ensuring it works for the people who need it most.

OUR APPROACHES

Understand Needs

  • We connect to the lived experiences of patients, providers, and communities. Through qualitative research and human-centered design, we map journeys, identify pain points, and uncover systemic gaps. This ensures solutions are grounded in real-world contexts, amplifying the voices of those at the frontline of care.

Collaborate with Governments and Partners

  • Collaboration is key to our work. We partner with government leaders, civil society, private sector partners, and communities to align on shared priorities. Governments play a dual role as both drivers of scale—expanding innovations across systems—and beneficiaries, as these solutions ease the burden on health systems and reduce costs. By integrating evidence and ensuring collective ownership, we create solutions that are impactful and scalable.

Design and Test Solutions

  • Using service blueprints, rapid prototyping, and iterative design sprints, we develop, visualize, and pilot new models of care. When needed, we collaborate with local design firms to ensure solutions are tailored to the context. Continuous testing with real users, particularly clients and health workers, through simulations and interviews allows us to refine service experiences before scaling.

Incorporate Feedback and Refine Models

  • We systematically collect feedback using participatory methods like experience mapping, interviews, and rapid-cycle learning. This data allows us to adapt interventions in real time, ensuring service models are responsive, inclusive, and effective during pilot phases and beyond.

Evaluate and Scale

  • Robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks are built into our approach. By analyzing outcomes, equity, and user satisfaction, we assess impact and ensure models are scalable and sustainable, meeting health system needs while staying client-focused.

Program Experts

Agnes Ngure

Regional Technical Advisor

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"The clients are empowered…in normal ANC we assume that the clients do not know. But we realize that they know so much more than even what we know, so when we empower them and allow them to give us their ideas first then talk about ours, they get so much help—both the clients and ourselves."
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