Bridging Global Healthcare Access Gaps With reach52

Madison Tarnowski

Over half the world does not have access to essential healthcare. Despite enormous strides in medical innovation, billions worldwide struggle to access even the most basic healthcare services due to barriers such as service availability, treatment affordability, and health education gaps.  

I have long been passionate about improving equitable access to healthcare globally. Going into my MBA at INSEAD, I knew I wanted to use my summer break to learn about unique healthcare landscapes beyond those in North America and Europe I’d previously focused on. I hoped that this time at an international MBA programme would be the perfect opportunity to dive into innovative business models being used to meet global healthcare needs. 

When reach52 first reached out to me, I immediately realised we had common goals and passions. I was excited for a summer of working with an organisation at the intersection of healthcare innovation and impact.  

Joining the fight for healthcare equity

reach52 is a Singapore-based social startup that is working to improve healthcare imbalances around the world. They partner with businesses, governments, and social organisations to run targeted health campaigns and distribute products in emerging markets where healthcare access is limited. They strive to be the biggest healthcare company in the world, not in dollars earned but in lives reached.  


reach52 is a Singapore based startup


During the INSEAD summer break, I had the privilege of working with them for over two months. I partnered with their executive leadership team to work on diverse projects ranging from product portfolio management to data analytics strategy. My work was primarily focused on markets in Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. The goal was clear through every workstream: improve health outcomes in the communities that need it most.  

Data-driven solutions for medicine access

It was an eye-opening experience. One project I worked on involved forecasting essential medicine needs in low-income African countries. The gaps are staggering: although Africa carries over 20% of the global disease burden, they account for only 3% of pharmaceutical sales. Even so, everyday medicines can be up to 30 times more expensive in Africa than in high-income countries like the US, and they still face frequent stockouts. Supply and demand mismatches are rampant across this region.  

reach52 aims to aid in affordable healthcare

As heartbreaking as this asymmetry is, there is a clear solution: provide affordable medical products already globally available at low costs in these underserved regions.  

I conducted extensive research into access and affordability gaps in 16 prioritised countries to better understand how reach52 could create and distribute a portfolio of low-cost medicines. Despite limited existing data in this region, we were able to leverage a network of locally based healthcare professionals and medicine distribution points to perform on-the-ground research on product prices and gaps. As the portfolio is launched and scaled up over the next three years, we expect to reach over 40 million underserved patients.  

This business model is a virtuous cycle. Not only will these efforts help solve medicine access challenges, but they will also help sustainably support reach52’s health campaigns and other community services they provide. By relying less on external B2B partnerships, they can have more flexibility in addressing specific patient communities or disease areas. That, in turn, empowers more insights and partnerships to better understand and meet patient needs, be it accessibility, availability, or awareness gaps.  

reach52 aims to help in affordable healthcare

Lifelong lessons from a mission-driven team

My summer with reach52 deepened my understanding of the healthcare challenges in new regions, and the innovative approaches organisations are taking to address these barriers. It was a humbling and inspiring experience to work on projects that can directly uplift millions of lives impacted by unique challenges.  

I also loved working with such a mission-oriented and talented group of leaders in healthcare. The team’s passion for improving healthcare access isn’t just a line on marketing materials; it informs every decision they make. Their drive, expertise, and guidance have truly helped me see “Business as a Force for Good” brought to life. 

This experience has fueled my commitment to pursue a career focused on global health equity and innovation. I am excited to continue working on solutions that make essential healthcare accessible to all.  


This internship experience was supported by the INSEAD Hoffmann Institute Impact Internship Stipend and gifts from alumni.