What You Should Know:

– Butterfly Network, a company specializing in portable ultrasound technology, has announced the second phase of its ambitious maternal health program in Sub-Saharan Africa. This initiative, titled “Siyakubona” (meaning “we see you” in Zulu), aims to improve access to critical prenatal care for women in South Africa.

– By increasing access to portable ultrasound technology and proper training, the Siyakubona program has the potential to significantly improve maternal health outcomes in South Africa. This initiative empowers healthcare workers to provide more informed diagnoses and deliver better quality care for mothers and their babies.

Building on Success in Kenya

The program builds upon the success of Phase One, which saw 500 Butterfly iQ+ ultrasound devices distributed across Kenya in late 2022. Funded by a $5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the initiative seeks to ensure more women have access to life-saving ultrasound diagnostics.

Expanding Reach to South Africa

Siyakubona Phase Two focuses on South Africa, with plans to distribute the remaining 500 iQ+ devices to healthcare workers across up to six provinces. The rollout begins in the Eastern Cape, where approximately 50 mid-level practitioners are currently undergoing a week-long ultrasound training program facilitated by the Global Ultrasound Institute (GUSI).

Equipping Healthcare Workers

This training equips healthcare workers with the skills and confidence to conduct crucial obstetric ultrasound screenings. They will learn to identify key indicators like baby positioning, presence of multiples, and potential high-risk conditions – all essential for quality pregnancy care.

Collaboration for Impact

Butterfly Network is partnering with several key organizations to ensure the success of Siyakubona. These include:

Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI): A global health organization dedicated to improving access to healthcare resources.
Global Ultrasound Institute (GUSI): A leader in providing ultrasound education and training programs.
Core Group: A leading distributor of Apple products in Sub-Saharan Africa.
JAMF: A provider of Apple Enterprise Management and privacy software solutions.
Melon Mobile: A digital mobile virtual network operator.
Zebra Medical: The South African distribution partner for Butterfly devices.

“Butterfly is proud to continue improving maternal health equity through Phase Two of the largest-scale handheld ultrasound distribution and training ever conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa. South Africa is an emerging market that continues to have disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality and stillbirth. Patients need easier access to antenatal imaging, and clinicians need better capabilities for screening high-risk conditions that lead to disproportionately worse pregnancy outcomes in rural areas in the public sector,” said Dr. Sachita Shah, Sr. Director, Global Health, Butterfly Network. “Together with CHAI and GUSI, we can tackle this by making ultrasound much more accessible, so high-risk conditions can be identified earlier in care, which is known to improve outcomes.”