Afia Pharma addresses the pressing issue of limited dialysis service availability in Rwanda. Did you know that in Rwanda, we have only eight dialysis centres serving over 520,000 individuals affected by chronic kidney disease? This makes up 4% of the population. Because of this, significant challenges arise in accessing essential healthcare. Additionally, lengthy supply chain processes worsen the issue delaying access to vital medical supplies. So urgent action is needed.
To tackle this problem, we offer a digital pharmaceutical procurement platform specifically designed to streamline the supply chain process for dialysis consumables and machines. Our platform incorporates features such as automated reordering and real time tracking. This aims to enhance efficiency and accessibility while mitigating delays caused by low logistical complexities.
By providing a solution that simplifies and accelerates the procurement of dialysis consumables, we aim to improve access to essential healthcare service for patients suffering from chronic kidney disease in Rwanda.
We are thrilled to announce that our digital pharmaceutical procurement platform has successfully facilitated the seamless supply of dialysis consumables in two health care facilities in Rwanda. Before this concept, we were selling medication to patients in general, but now we are pivoting in B2B, a kind of digital pharmaceutical procurement platform where we are selling consumables and machines to dialysis centres.
Another progress that we have made in quarter one of this year is that we were in our market research phase, and we have now started getting some orders for the dialysis consumables.
Despite the progress we have made, our primary challenge remains scaling our solution to meet the overwhelming demand for streamlined healthcare procurement in Rwanda. Additionally, securing adequate funding and investment to expand our platform to reach more healthcare facilities is also a challenge.
First and foremost, conducting comprehensive market research is essential. Understanding the current landscape challenges and needs of the market by gaining insight into the existing gaps is crucial for developing a successful innovation. By doing this, you can design your solution effectively, to address the specific pain point and maximise its impact. In conclusion, these foundational steps provide clarity and direction throughout the innovation process, guiding you towards developing a solution that truly meets the needs of your target audience.
Out of curiosity, you did B2C market research in 2019 then you shifted to B2B. Was that because things on the ground changed or that because you didn’t feel like the market research you initially did was accurate?
The reason why we did B2C market research in 2019 is because in Rwanda, we have a problem of essential medication accessibility, because we are a population of 13 million people having 470 pharmacies in Rwanda, 75% of those pharmacies are in urban areas. As you can see, 80% of the population in Rwanda are residing in rural areas, so it doesn't make sense to see only 120 pharmacies or support a rural population of 10 million. We were serving that market then. This year we observed that chronic kidney disease is growing in Rwanda and we have a problem with limited dialysis centres. So we had to shift the market of Renal Care to B2B to serve a bigger population.
Villgro Africa has played a pivotal role in our growth journey by providing mentorship and support. Through their guidance, we have gained access to the proper framework and tools necessary to conduct thorough market research and testing. This has enabled us to better understand the needs of our target market and refine our solution accordingly.
Additionally, Villgro Africa funding support has been instrumental in fuelling our development efforts, allowing us to progress toward our goals with confidence and momentum. Lastly, Villgro’s impact has been transformative, empowering us to navigate challenges effectively and achieve significant milestones in our mission to revolutionise healthcare procurement in Rwanda.