THE HEALTHCARE INTERVIEW
Why procurement transformation is a global obligation Jacqui’ s transition – and transformation – signals how procurement can shape policy delivery and long-term reform. The current global context adds weight to her appointment.
Universal health coverage( UHC), a key target of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals( SDGs), is off course. As of 2021, an estimated 4.5 billion people lacked full access to essential health services. Financial hardship also remains widespread, with two billion people pushed into difficulty by health costs – and half of those facing catastrophic out-of-pocket spending.
The World Health Organization( WHO) is now prioritising the strengthening of primary health care( PHC) as a path forward. It suggests that improved PHC could save 60 million lives and raise life expectancy by nearly four years by 2030.
It is within this context that Jacqui takes her expertise overseas:“ When I was looking at what was going on in global healthcare and where the most exciting innovation was, where the biggest transformation was, I was watching Saudi Arabia.”
The Kingdom’ s rapid diversification from oil and the scale of its healthcare ambitions proved hard to ignore.
“ Quite frankly, what they ' re aiming to achieve in terms of healthcare transformation is phenomenal and it was too big an opportunity to pass up,” she adds.
16 December 2025