Global partnerships - Our work | Philips Foundation

We explore healthcare delivery models and solutions with respected NGOs to improve access to healthcare in low-resource settings

Through impactful collaboration with international non-governmental organizations, social entrepreneurs and academic parties, we look at innovative solutions to improve access to healthcare for disadvantaged communities. Exploring health technologies such as telehealth, point-of-care diagnostics and dedicated solutions for low-resource settings, we aim to build the evidence and insights that can help create a platform from which these solutions can scale to larger impact in a sustainable way.

Fostering innovation in low-resource settings

Philips Foundation, in partnership with UNICEF, Concern Worldwide, Gearbox and Kenyan institutions funded and support the ‘Maker Project' in Kenya – a ‘change the system from within’ solution to achieving better mother, newborn and child health in low-resource environments. Combining the imagination and creativity of students at the University of Nairobi, the real-world experience of doctors and nurses at Kenyatta National Hospital, and innovation and entrepreneurship coaching provided free-of-charge by Philips, the Maker Project is capable of developing of medical device prototypes.

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Increasing the reach of ultrasound diagnostics

In projects in Kenya, we are educating midwives to deliver antenatal pregnancy screening in village clinics, while receiving telehealth support from radiologists at distance. With Aga Khan University, we will offer this service at primary care levels in three sub-counties of Kilifi and assess the effects on aspects such as quality of service, uptake of early prenatal care, improved outcome of pregnancy, and communication between pregnant women and community health workers – all ultimately indicators of better maternal and child mortality outcomes.

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Innovative approach to combat pneumonia

We run a number of innovation projects in India and Africa, exploring digital and diagnostic tools to support health workers. One of them is VISHWAAS (Breath of Hope) project with Save the Children, social enterprise ZMQ and Philips India is aimed at developing and proving a low-cost innovative approach for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of childhood pneumonia. This includes an appbased mHealth solution. The project is set to bring high-quality pneumonia care to approximately 90,000 under-five children in India.

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New income and procurement models

We continued our project with Amref Health Africa – in collaboration with FMO, Philips and Makueni County, Kenya – that focuses on developing a sustainable financial model to revolutionize primary care in Africa. The model simultaneously improves health prevention, health-seeking behavior and financial risk protection at community level, as well as access to and quality of healthcare services. Implementation in three clinics showed increased service uptake, revenue generation and insurance uptake.