NIGERIA—Field, a prominent African health tech company, has launched a new route-to-market service to introduce emerging therapies to address urgent healthcare challenges, particularly maternal mortality, newborn and child health, and nutrition.
This initiative will leverage Field’s proprietary technology, distribution networks, and financing services, which already support over 40,000 healthcare providers in rural and urban areas of Kenya and Nigeria.
The service is being launched with an initial investment of US$11 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, recognising Field’s dedication to transforming supply chains and introducing new therapies to combat Africa’s most pressing health issues.
Since its inception in 2015, Field’s infrastructure has enabled over 800 million health interventions across more than 60 therapeutic areas, including family planning, HIV, and tuberculosis.
The new initiative will begin in Kenya and Nigeria, and the plan is to expand to other regions.
Field will use its capabilities in navigating complex distribution channels to speed up the introduction of emerging therapies and technologies.
This includes plans for a significant digital overhaul of healthcare providers, hospitals, and state- and federal-level health organisations, along with financing options designed to enhance operational efficiency and purchasing capacity.
In addition, the initiative aims to support healthcare providers by offering last-mile delivery services, which will improve everyday health services. It will also install pharma-grade refrigeration systems to ensure the safe storage of medical supplies.
A coalition that includes governments, manufacturers, and other key stakeholders will boost the entire program, making it one of Africa’s most ambitious maternal health programs.
Maternal mortality remains one of Africa’s most critical healthcare challenges, with the probability of a woman dying in childbirth on the continent being 45 times higher than in Europe.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 69% of global maternal deaths occur in Africa, with Nigeria alone accounting for 29% of these deaths in 2020.
Field’s new service will give expectant mothers access to life-saving therapies, such as heat-stable carbetocin and calibrated drapes that detect and treat postpartum haemorrhage, a leading cause of maternal mortality.
The platform will also address related complications, including preeclampsia, while supporting both emerging and established therapies.
Speaking on the launch, Michael Moreland, CEO and Founder of Field, emphasized the importance of health technology in large-scale public health programs.
He highlighted how Field’s products and services, developed over the past eight years, are now being integrated into national healthcare systems.
He also noted that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funding would enable Field to rapidly improve maternal and child survival rates across various healthcare settings.
Despite recent global pharmaceutical companies withdrawing from the continent, Moreland stressed that Field has seen meaningful progress in healthcare outcomes.
However, he cautioned that this progress could slow down or regress in the current economic climate if coordinated systems and processes are still needed.
Field and its partners, including their funders, are determined to prevent this from happening by implementing technology-driven infrastructure to support public health services.
Beyond this initiative, Field continues to expand its technology solutions across Africa.
Through its Field Supply platform, the company has created the continent’s largest pharmaceutical supply chain system.
Its distribution service, Shelf Life, distributes over 3,000 quality products across 50 therapeutic areas, reaching more than 2,500 pharmacies and hospitals in 24 cities in Nigeria and Kenya.
This includes partnerships with government facilities, large hospital systems, retail chains, insurance companies, and family-operated drug stores.
The platform also provides trade financing solutions to overcome the working capital constraints that often prevent investment in new medical interventions
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