For Kassahun, a used clothing merchant in Ethiopia, managing his diabetes is something of an obstacle course. In the rural area where he lives, there are no doctors specialized in treating the disease, which if poorly managed can spark a host of other health problems, including heart disease, vision problems and nerve damage. So Kassahun travels 300 kilometers (approximately 186 miles) by public transportation to the capital Addis Ababa to see a specialist at the Black Lion Hospital, requiring him to spend several nights in a hotel.

“If we had more skilled physicians in the regions, …