FIELD, a prominent healthtech company based in Africa, has announced the introduction of a route-to-market service aimed at bringing innovative therapies to address the critical issues of maternal mortality, newborn and child health, and nutrition.
This initiative will utilize FIELD’s proprietary technology, distribution networks, and financial services, currently supporting a network of over 40,000 healthcare providers in both rural and urban areas across Kenya and Nigeria.
The launch is supported by an initial investment of $11 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which acknowledges FIELD’s dedication to facilitating the introduction of new therapies and transforming supply chains to combat Africa’s most urgent health challenges.
Since its establishment in 2015, FIELD’s streamlined infrastructure has enabled over 800 million health interventions across more than 60 therapeutic areas, including family planning, HIV, and tuberculosis. The program will initially focus on Kenya and Nigeria, with plans to expand to additional regions.
FIELD aims to leverage its unique strengths in navigating complex distribution networks to create a rapid route to market for innovative therapies and technologies. This will involve a comprehensive digital transformation for private healthcare providers, hospitals, and health agencies at both state and federal levels, along with financing solutions to enhance operations and purchasing capabilities.
Furthermore, healthcare providers will gain from improved last-mile delivery systems and the installation of pharmaceutical-grade refrigerators.
The overall service will be supported by the formation of a coalition that includes governments, manufacturers, and other key stakeholders, representing one of the continent’s most ambitious maternal health initiatives to date.
Michael Moreland, CEO and Founder of FIELD, commented on the initiative: “This represents public health powered by technology, and today’s announcement highlights the products and services FIELD has developed over the past eight years. We have scaled and integrated them into extensive public health programs; we believe this is the mission of health technology companies: creating impactful partnerships between private and public sectors.”
He further stated, “Digitally empowering, networking, and financing health systems at scale will significantly enhance access to quality care. With the support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we are poised to make rapid advancements in maternal and child survival across various settings.”
Maternal mortality remains one of Africa’s most urgent healthcare issues, with a woman’s risk of dying from childbirth being 45 times greater in Africa than in Europe.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that Africa accounted for 69% of global maternal deaths, with Nigeria alone representing 29% of all maternal fatalities worldwide in 2020.
FIELD’s service aims to provide expectant mothers in Africa with access to emerging therapies, such as heat-stable carbetocin and calibrated drapes, which detect and treat postpartum hemorrhage, the leading cause of maternal mortality on the continent.
The platform will expedite the implementation of these new interventions, support established therapies, and address complications like preeclampsia.
The ramifications of inadequate maternal health services are likely to disproportionately affect the most vulnerable segments of Africa’s population.
