A Foundation with a Social Mission
Ken AertsIn 2013, the founders of Stichting Orelia Pharma gained a first-hand impression of the humanitarian situation in Guinea-Bissau. During that period, they supported humanitarian missions and were confronted with the practical realities of working in an environment where infrastructure, public services and access to healthcare could not be taken for granted.
The experience left a lasting impression. It provided valuable insight into the complexity of delivering support in lower-resource settings, where local circumstances, transport conditions, institutional capacity and everyday living conditions all influence the accessibility of care.
Now, following the establishment of Stichting Orelia Pharma, these earlier experiences form part of a renewed humanitarian ambition. A new mission to Guinea-Bissau is being prepared with the aim of contributing to the development of pharmacy practice and improving access to adequate healthcare where support is needed most.
Encounters with local public health structures offered an important first impression of the broader healthcare environment in Guinea-Bissau.
International transport and arrival logistics highlighted how closely humanitarian support depends on reliable connectivity and operational coordination.
Humanitarian missions rely not only on commitment, but also on transport capacity, logistical planning and cross-border coordination.
These early experiences reinforced an important principle that remains relevant today: improving healthcare access requires more than medical products alone. It also depends on infrastructure, local partnerships, continuity, education and the ability to operate responsibly in challenging environments.
Field operations in fragile environments require awareness of the broader political and security context in which humanitarian work takes place.
Everyday community life provided an important human perspective on the realities in which access to healthcare must be strengthened.
Conditions on the ground illustrated how mobility, public infrastructure and local access routes directly affect the continuity of care and support.
Local living conditions and informal community structures provide essential context for understanding healthcare needs beyond formal institutions alone.
Observing local institutions and public spaces helped shape a deeper understanding of the societal setting in which future healthcare initiatives must operate.
Stichting Orelia Pharma was founded with a professional and socially driven mission. While our organisation operates with a clear focus on pharmaceutical quality, responsibility and long-term impact, we also recognise that access to medicines and healthcare remains deeply unequal across different parts of the world.
For that reason, the foundation is now preparing to re-engage in Guinea-Bissau through a renewed humanitarian initiative. This future mission will focus on contributing to the promotion of pharmacy, strengthening awareness around responsible pharmaceutical care and supporting the accessibility of adequate healthcare within the local context.
The first impressions gained in 2013 were not an endpoint, but the beginning of a longer vision. They continue to inform the foundation’s perspective on sustainable healthcare support, responsible collaboration and meaningful humanitarian engagement where it can make a real difference.