Nairobi, Kenya, June 18, 2014: Philips has taken VISIQ, the developed-in-India ultra mobile  ultrasound system portable to Africa in a pan African Cairo to Cape Town roadshow that reached the Kenyan capital today.

The roadshow allows Philips to engage in dialogue with customers, governments, NGOs and media to ascertain a better understanding of each country’s unique requirements and to develop relevant technology to support their needs on maternal and infant care.

 The tablet sized VISIQ   provides high quality images for expectant mothers wherever care is taking place.
Philips supports the Kenyan Ministry of Health in its mission to reduce child mortality rates, improve maternal health, meet the UN Millennium Development Goals 4 & 5 and revitalize Kenya’s health infrastructure as part of Kenya’s Vision2030 .

According to the Philips Fabric of Africa trends report (http://philips.to/T6KhQp), women in Africa are at significant risk of premature death, with particular high mortality rates recorded in pregnancy. Women in semi-urban and rural areas across Kenya (in fact all of Africa) often die due to preventable complications during child birth as they have no access to ultrasound screenings to detect critical conditions. Many of these deaths can be diagnosed with basic imaging technology.
One of the benefits of VISIQ is that it is portable and easy to use so it’s available for expectant mothers in remote areas who wouldn’t otherwise have access to this type of innovative technology. “It makes me proud to see how Philips’ cost-effective, easy to operate ultrasound systems can make a real difference in Africa. It shows that meaningful innovations can contribute to saving people’s lives,” says Peter van de Ven, Vice President & General Manager, Philips Healthcare Africa. “Improving access to healthcare is high on the Philips agenda in Africa and we are very eager to contribute to the Vision2030 goals of the Kenyan government to improve access to quality care for all Kenyans. VISIQ allows clinicians to provide ultrasound in a variety of clinical environments, offering soon-to-be parents the comfort of having regular pre-natal check-ups.”