Supporting health enterprises to enhance the availability of family planning products

June 19, 2024  /  By

Multi-country

July 2021 – present

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic strained global health systems, threatening access to vital reproductive health services like family planning. Social enterprises are crucial in connecting communities with these services, but many lack the expertise to expand effectively.

In Phase 1, Project Last Mile partnered with USAID to enhance the organizational effectiveness of two social enterprises directly delivering family planning products to households. Healthy Entrepreneurs in Uganda and Total Family Health Organization in Ghana positively impacted lastmile communities by providing access to health products and services with guidance from Project Last Mile experts.

Building on this, Phase 2 has begun. Project Last Mile and USAID received submissions from 11 organizations and selected two for route-to-market technical assistance:

• Maisha Meds: A technology-enabled healthcare company improving access to medicines in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Nigeria, mainly through private sector pharmacies.

• Parkers Mobile Clinic: A Southern Nigeria-based not-for-profit, strengthening healthcare delivery for vulnerable populations through mobile family planning, telehealth services, and nutrition support.

In Phase 2, Project Last Mile will provide route-to-market technical assistance and in-country implementation support to these enterprises to integrate the solutions into their operations.

Results

  • The number of households serviced by Healthy Entrepreneurs and Total Family Health Organization increased by over 250%.
  • Staff motivation, confidence, sales, profits, and job satisfaction improved significantly.
  • Staff members reported increased professionalism, management skills, and overall organization of business operations.
  • As of October 2023, Project Last Mile’s models continued to be implemented and scaled even after the project concluded.

“This opportunity showcased the ‘real magic’ behind our work, emphasizing the importance of connecting with communities. Spending a day examining our systems, processes, and people, we hope their visit brought Coca-Cola’s solutions to life.”

– Charles Kazooba, National Route to Market Manager for Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Uganda

This information originally appeared in the 2023 Annual Report.

Download the Annual Report