Primary Care

MedShare’s goal is to build healthy communities and strengthen health systems both locally in the U.S. and abroad by donating quality, unused, unexpired surplus medical products. Primary healthcare is the foundation of health systems and is central to:

Preventing epidemics like Ebola
Improving women’s and children’s health
Controlling major infectious diseases
Managing the burden of non-communicable diseases like heart disease and cancer

The Challenge:

All too often, primary healthcare is a weak link in health systems. Over 400 million people worldwide lack access to essential health services typically delivered through primary care.

According to the World Health Organization, over 10 million children under the age of five who live in developing nations, die annually due to inadequate medical care.

Potentially life saving surgeries are cancelled due to the lack of basic supplies like sutures, clean needles, gauze and alcohol. Often, people living in medically underserved communities are also sicker and lead shorter lives due to lack of access to basic services including healthcare.

The Opportunity:

Closing the gap in quality primary care is essential to improving health in the developing world. Active primary care health systems are where people go in their communities to stay healthy and to receive care when they become ill. When quality primary care is available, it meets the critical healthcare needs of patients.

MedShare’s Primary Care Program intends to:

Decrease global health disparities
Increase the capacity to effectively treat and care for patients in local healthcare systems
Strengthen global health systems so they are prepared to treat patients during future health crises
Improve health outcomes for patients
Save lives

Our Strategy:

To strengthen global health systems and to increase the capacity to treat patients, MedShare partners with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and in-country health ministers to fulfill our mission. By working with these health partners, we help them reach more patients and perform more routine and life saving medical procedures.

Did You Know?

Primary care builds bridges between personal healthcare, patients’ families and communities. In developing countries, primary care is often restricted to a one-way delivery channel for priority health interventions.
Primary care is a hub through which a patient is guided through the healthcare system. In developing countries, primary care is often reduced to standalone health posts or isolated community healthcare workers.
Primary care creates opportunities for disease prevention, health promotion and early disease detection. Often in developing nations, primary care only treats common ailments.
Payment for healthcare is commonly provided out-of-pocket at the point of service. Every year, over 100 million people worldwide fall into poverty because they have to pay for medical treatment.
Poor hygiene standards lead to a high rate of hospital-acquired infections — along with medication errors — and other avoidable adverse effects that are an underestimated cause of death and ill health.
Quality health services for marginalized groups are often fragmented and severely under-resourced.
Over 400 million people worldwide lack access to essential health services typically delivered through primary care.