Field, a Nigerian healthtech company, has launched a new route-to-market service aimed at introducing therapies to address critical issues like maternal mortality, newborn and child health, and nutrition challenges. With $11 million in backing from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this initiative leverages Field’s proprietary technology, distribution, and financing services to reach healthcare providers in rural and urban areas across Kenya and Nigeria.
Field’s network currently includes over 40,000 private and public healthcare providers. Michael Moreland, CEO and Founder of Field, highlighted the role of digital technology in powering health systems at scale, noting that support from the Gates Foundation will help accelerate improvements in maternal and child survival across Africa.
The maternal mortality rate in sub-Saharan Africa remains alarmingly high, with a ratio of 1 in 41 women at risk, significantly higher than the 1 in 11,000 ratio in Western Europe. In 2020 alone, the region accounted for 70% of global maternal deaths. To address this, Field’s service will provide access to innovative therapies like heat-stable carbetocin and calibrated drapes, which can detect and treat postpartum hemorrhage, the leading cause of maternal mortality in Africa. Additionally, it will tackle complications like preeclampsia through new and established therapies.
Despite advancements in healthcare, Moreland expressed concerns that economic challenges could hinder progress if healthcare systems lack coordination. Field’s mission is to provide solutions that overcome these obstacles.
Field has been reshaping the pharmaceutical supply chain in Nigeria and Kenya. Its distribution service, Shelf Life, currently delivers over 3,000 quality products across more than 50 therapeutic areas to pharmacies, hospitals, and government facilities. Additionally, Field offers trade financing solutions to address capital constraints that often limit investment in new medical interventions.
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