Clinicas del Azucar: Tackling Mexico’s biggest health threats

Nearly 13 million people in Mexico, or 15% of the population, suffer from diabetes. This chronic disease is not only the country’s top cause of mortality, leading to at least 150 000 deaths every year, but also the primary cause of blindness and amputations. Moreover, 18% of Mexicans have hypertension, which puts them at risk of complications such as heart failure and strokes. While many deaths and complications from diabetes and hypertension are avoidable, only 5% of Mexicans enjoy access to specialised preventative care.

People diagnosed with one or both these conditions have two options for getting treatment: pay out of pocket at a private clinic – which at an estimated annual cost of over USD 1 000 only the 10% richest can afford – or endure long wait times, inconvenient appointment scheduling and scant consultation time at a public hospital. Only 19% of patients who rely on the public healthcare system in Mexico control their condition successfully, while the rest risk severe complications.

Clinicas del Azucar provides high-quality yet affordable diabetes and hypertension care to low-income Mexicans by offering all the necessary treatment for a flat-rate annual membership fee of USD250-300. Technology and process improvements enable it to reduce the cost of specialised care by more than 60% relative to the public healthcare system.

The solution has three pillars:

• One-stop-shop for diabetes and hypertension care. The efficient set-up of Clinic del Azucar’s clinics allows patients to move through a full treatment cycle in 90 minutes. To increase care accessibility and convenience, the clinics are in retail areas and include a store that sells medicine and other diabetes- and hypertension-related products.
• Fixed-fee membership. Clinicas del Azucar offers a flexible payment schedule that accommodates late payments and allows patients to pay the full amount either up front or in monthly instalments, reducing uncertainty around healthcare budgeting. It also provides membership fee discounts for the poorest patients.
• Treatment personalisation. Clinicas del Azucar collects extensive patient data (for instance, about occupation and physical activity level) to tailor treatment and messaging to each patient’s needs, increasing treatment success.

As winner of the 2021 Resilience Award, Clinicas del Azucar used the award grant to increase the number of clinics it operates from 22 to 37 and staff from 300 to 615 employees and to introduce a virtual clinic to has the potential to significantly increase the company’s impact, allowing it to serve patients who live in remote areas where a clinic would not be sustainable. Once challenges such as how to attract patients to the virtual clinic and how to maintain service quality during a period of rapid expansion were addressed, the number of patients with active memberships grew from 19 999 to              38 000.

The venture now aims to expand to Texas, in the United States, targeting the border state’s 1.5 million Hispanic people with diabetes who lack adequate care options. With the required regulatory assessments complete, as of mid-2024 it was preparing for a pilot clinic launch later in the year.

60 Decibels - Clinicas del Azucar Report

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