Philips Foundation Sets Ambitious Goals to Enhance Maternal Healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa

A clinician carries out an ultrasound exam

(IN BRIEF) The Philips Foundation has made significant strides in improving maternal healthcare access in Sub-Saharan Africa, impacting 15 million people in 2022 alone. Through collaborations with strategic partners, they have focused on enhancing access to obstetric ultrasound services, promoting health awareness and early detection with award-winning referral cards, and improving service readiness for maternity care. The foundation plans to further expand collaborations with social entrepreneurs in the region to ensure sustainable impact and quality healthcare delivery.

(PRESS RELEASE) AMSTERDAM/ NAIROBI, 31-Oct-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Koninklijke Philips N.V. (AMS: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, announces that the Philips Foundation, dedicated to providing quality healthcare access to 100 million people annually by 2030, reports significant achievements in maternal healthcare access across Sub-Saharan Africa. Through five distinct projects spanning five years, the foundation has improved maternal care access for 15 million people in 2022 alone [1]. In a recent partner meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, the foundation unveiled plans to expand collaborations with social entrepreneurs in the region.

Margot Cooijmans, Director of the Philips Foundation, expressed, “From building health awareness to providing high-quality healthcare, Philips Foundation’s journey with its strategic partners in maternal health for Sub-Saharan Africa is having a significant impact. Each part of our programs has been designed with thought and care, offering healthcare workers and patients a livelihood by bringing essential services to their communities. By combining our efforts with innovative social enterprises, we can provide continuity of quality healthcare, leverage local innovations and ensure even more long-term, sustainable impact.”

The foundation’s increased emphasis on partnering with social entrepreneurs builds on the success of the initiative launched in 2021. Collaborations with organizations like Access Afya, GOAL 3, Ilara Health, and Penda Health are all rooted in the African healthcare system, delivering maternal and child healthcare services through locally-enabled innovation.

Key Philips Foundation programs improving maternal healthcare access in Sub-Saharan Africa include:

1. Enhancing access to obstetric ultrasound services: In Kenya, Philips Foundation partnered with Aga Khan University to train midwives, equip health centers, and enhance communication, leading to improved antenatal experiences and early detection of at-risk pregnancies. In Uganda, the foundation supported Imaging the World Africa in training over 250 healthcare professionals, aiding in the identification of life-threatening complications.
2. Award-winning tool for health awareness and early detection: To promote behavior shifts related to pregnancy risks in underserved communities, Philips Foundation, alongside Philips Design and the ICRC, developed easy-to-understand referral cards for high-risk pregnancies. These award-winning referral cards [3] have proven highly effective in encouraging healthcare-seeking behavior among high-risk women, particularly in areas characterized by low literacy rates, resulting in increased utilization of healthcare services.
3. Enhancing service readiness for maternity care: Partnering with the Kenya Ministry of Health to improve medical equipment availability and functionality, Philips Foundation collaborated with UNICEF to introduce a digital tool for supervising and maintaining medical equipment in 100 healthcare facilities. This project simplifies equipment management, enabling facility managers to track equipment status efficiently, plan maintenance, and optimize resource allocation, ensuring uninterrupted maternity care provision.