June 12, 2020

 

Boehringer Ingelheim announces LastMile initiative for animal healthcare in Africa

 

  

Boehringer Ingelheim's LastMile initiative is an integrated, solutions-driven programme seeking to address crucial animal health challenges by making animal medical resources available in hard-to-reach areas, the company announced.

 

The initiative targets ruminants like sheep and goats along with cattle, and poultry.

 

With support from the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed) and funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, LastMile aims to bridge current gaps in access, availability and awareness of animal healthcare solutions for smallholder farmers in Africa.

 

The programme's mission is to create long-lasting partnerships with the local farming community in an effort to establish and drive sustainable businesses that are integrated into the wider national economy. It was initially launched in Kenya, and other key markets throughout Africa including Cameroon, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia, with a plan to expand in Tanzania.

 

With the recently launched mobile app, field force and teams working on the LastMile are now able to manage their day-to-day activities and work more effectively with farmers, retailers and veterinarians. The objective for rolling out the use of the app is to monitor the activities accurately, collect data, measure the impact and reach of the initiative, as well as to improve the understanding and knowledge about the smallholder farmer sector for better-informed decision-making in the future.

 

Additionally, the app has proven critical in the current times of social distancing and heightened safety measures for regular and easy interactions with Boehringer Ingelheim's stakeholders.

 

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the project funder, and GALVmed, will also benefit from this app, as more accurate KPI data related to the project will be available.

Some of the main features include a calendar section, farm and retail visit sections and product information. The app also gathers specific information about the target market.

 

Emilie Veillat, Boehringer Ingelheim's key account manager and LastMile application lead at the company's Veterinary Public Health Center, said: "The LastMile initiative is an important part of the company's vision and aims to support our communities as well as improve both human and animal health. I am pleased we have launched this mobile app which is not only critical for accurate data collection and monitoring, but it also helps teams stay connected, particularly in these challenging times of the pandemic."

 

- Boehringer Ingelheim