Field Healthtech to Tackle Maternal Death with $11M Backing from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Field healthtech company in Africa, has officially unveiled a new route-to-market service aimed at addressing the critical issues of maternal death, as well as enhancing newborn and child health and nutrition. This initiative will utilize Field’s proprietary technology, distribution networks, and financing services, which currently support a network of over 40,000 healthcare providers in both rural and urban settings across Kenya and Nigeria. The launch is backed by an initial investment of $11 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, acknowledging Field’s dedication to introducing innovative therapies and transforming supply chains to tackle Africa’s pressing health challenges.
Since its establishment in 2015, Field healthtech has developed a streamlined infrastructure that has enabled over 800 million health interventions across more than 60 therapeutic areas, including family planning, HIV, and tuberculosis. The initiative will commence in Kenya and Nigeria, with plans for future expansion into other regions. Field aims to leverage its unique capabilities in navigating complex distribution channels to expedite the market entry of emerging therapies and technologies. This will involve a comprehensive digital transformation for private healthcare providers, hospitals, and healthcare organizations at both State and Federal levels, along with financing solutions to enhance operational efficiency and purchasing power. Furthermore, healthcare providers will benefit from improved last-mile delivery services and the installation of pharmaceutical-grade refrigeration units. Overall, the service will be strengthened by the formation of a coalition that includes governments, manufacturers, and other essential stakeholders, marking one of the continent’s most ambitious maternal health initiatives to date.
Maternal mortality represents a significant healthcare crisis on the African continent. The risk of a woman dying during childbirth in Africa is 45 times greater than that in Europe. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that Africa was responsible for 69% of global maternal fatalities, with Nigeria alone accounting for 29% of all maternal deaths worldwide in 2020. Field’s service aims to provide expectant mothers in Africa with access to innovative treatments such as heat-stable carbetocin and calibrated drapes, which are designed to identify and manage postpartum hemorrhage, the primary cause of maternal mortality in the region. This platform will expedite the implementation of these new interventions, bolster established treatments, and tackle associated complications such as preeclampsia.
The ramifications of inadequate or absent maternal health services will disproportionately impact the most vulnerable populations in Africa. In discussing the initiative, Michael Moreland, CEO and Founder of Field, stated, “This initiative exemplifies public health enhanced by technology, and today’s announcement highlights the products and services that Field has developed over the past eight years, which have been scaled and integrated into extensive public health programs; this is the model we believe health technology companies should follow—fostering innovative and impactful partnerships between private and public sectors.”
“By digitally empowering, connecting, and financing health systems on a large scale, we anticipate a profoundly positive impact on access to quality care. With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we are poised to significantly enhance maternal and child survival across various settings.”
Over the past 18 months, several global pharmaceutical and healthcare companies have withdrawn from the continent. Moreland states, “We have observed significant and meaningful improvements in healthcare delivery outcomes; however, in the current challenging economic environment, the absence of coordinated systems and processes may hinder or reverse this progress. Together with our funders, it is our responsibility to prevent this from occurring, as the challenges within the healthcare sector will not resolve themselves. This is where Field and its financial backers play a crucial role, and we are eager to commence work on this technology-driven infrastructure framework for public health services.”
In conjunction with this new initiative, Field is also expanding and enhancing its technology solutions throughout the continent. Through Field Supply, it has established the largest pharmaceutical supply chain platform in Africa. Its distribution service, Shelf Life, delivers over 3,000 high-quality products across more than 50 therapeutic areas, servicing over 2,500 pharmacies and hospitals in 24 cities across Nigeria and Kenya, including government facilities, large hospital systems, retail chains, insurance providers, and family-owned drug stores. Additionally, the platform offers trade financing solutions for essential therapies and equipment, addressing the working capital challenges that frequently impede investment in new medical interventions.
