SHEF is providing access to health services to hundreds of thousands of rural Kenyans.
Investment Stories
The Challenge
- The vast majority of sickness and death in Kenya is caused by a few major illnesses that are easily preventable and curable. Many Kenyans, however, lack access to basic health services, affordable drugs and medical supplies.
The Innovation
- SHEF, an international NGO that has been working in Kenya for over three years, is quickly expanding its micro-franchise distribution network to provide essential drugs and basic health services to communities with little previous access to health services.
- SHEF's model combines proven micro-enterprise and franchise principles to enable qualified community health workers and nurses to own and operate combination drug/consumer goods shops and medical clinics in underserved areas. The franchise system is operationally simple, yet imposes disciplined practices to ensure that high-quality drugs and appropriate services are available at affordable prices.
The Impact
- SHEF to expand its existing network from under 100 to over 500 shops.
- Acumen Funds’s investment is also supporting the design of a information management system and the development of additional sources of generic drugs, innovations that are expected to dramatically increase revenue and the number of patient consultations per shop.