With the new mobile app, the “LastMile” team can now better manage day-to-day activities and support farmers, retailers and veterinarians more effectively.

Ingelheim, Germany, June 2, 2020 – The “LastMile” initiative is an integrated, solutions-driven program seeking to address crucial animal health challenges by making animal medical resources available in hard-to-reach areas. The initiative targets ruminants, such as sheep, goats along with cattle, and poultry.

Established by Boehringer Ingelheim, 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 program'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 new 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. In addition, the app has proven critical in the current times of social distancing and heightened safety measures for regular and easy interactions with all our 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, training part covering diseases and product information and also surveys to gather specific information about the target market.

Emilie Veillat, Key Account Manager and LastMile application lead, The Veterinary Public Health Center at Boehringer Ingelheim shared: “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.”

About GALVmed

GALVmed works with partners to make livestock vaccines, medicines and diagnostics accessible and available to millions of smallholder farmers in developing countries who depend on livestock for their livelihood. The international not-for-profit company aims to make a significant contribution towards transformational change in the smallholder livestock health landscape by developing a portfolio of high-impact products and initiating a range of private sector market initiatives operating at scale in the smallholder sector in Africa and South Asia. GALVmed is headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland with regional offices in Nairobi, Kenya and New Delhi, India.

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Business Unit

Boehringer Ingelheim is the second largest animal health business in the world, with net sales of 4 billion euros in 2019 and presence in more than 150 markets.

As the lives of animals and humans are intertwined, across the globe, our 10,000 employees are dedicated to enhancing the well-being of both – through science and innovation, as well as with their commitment and passion.

Respect for animals, people and the environment is at the heart of what we do. We develop medicines, services and innovative digital technologies to protect animals from disease and pain. We support our customers in taking care of the health of their animals and protect our communities against life- and society- threatening diseases.

For more information visit: www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/animal-health/overview.