The Flying Doctors' Society of Africa

Name

The Flying Doctors' Society of Africa

Legal name

Flying Doctors Society of Africa

Website

https://flyingdoctorsafrica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Medical Services

NAICS

Ambulance Services (621910), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Medical Care & Field Hospitals (BPADADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE), Medical Missions & Global Health NGOs (BPAGACAI), Disaster Medical Assistance & Field Care (DMAT/Field Hospitals) (HLAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Air ambulance services
• Emergency medical evacuation
• Obstetric fistula treatment
• Healthcare outreach programs
• Membership evacuation coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual and short-term membership fees provide emergency air and ground evacuation coverage. Membership categories include Short Stay (14 days to 2 months), Annual (individual/family), and Corporate plans. Unused membership subscriptions are directed to fund charity evacuations and outreach programs including fistula surgeries.
2. Donations: Direct donations supporting fistula surgeries, outreach programs, and charity evacuations. Donors can designate contributions to specific causes (General Donation, Charity Evacuations, Outreach Programmes, Fistula Programme). The organization has received over KSh 1 billion in total donations since inception.
3. Branded Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including polo shirts ($25), white branded caps ($25), and other apparel. Minor revenue stream supplementing core membership and donation income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Flying Doctors' Society of Africa (FDSA) is a nonprofit charitable organization that sells membership subscriptions providing emergency air and ground ambulance evacuation services within a 1,000-kilometer radius of Nairobi across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. It also delivers the Fistula Programme, offering free reconstructive surgeries and psychosocial support to women suffering from obstetric fistula, and the Outreach Programme, which builds healthcare worker capacity in underserved East African communities, funded through unused membership subscriptions and direct donations.

Product overview

Flying Doctors Society of Africa (FDSA) operates as a membership-based medical emergency services organisation offering a portfolio of evacuation and healthcare outreach products. The core offering consists of Emergency Evacuation Services (air and ground ambulance) supported by three membership tiers: Short Stay Membership (14 days to 2 months), Annual Membership (365 days), and Corporate Membership (tailored for organisations). These memberships provide emergency medical evacuations within a 1,000km radius of Nairobi. Beyond personal protection, membership contributions fund two major outreach programmes: the Fistula Programme providing free surgical treatment and psychosocial support to women with Female Genital Fistula, and the Outreach Programme building healthcare worker capacity in underserved East African communities. FDSA also accepts direct donations and sells branded merchandise, with all proceeds supporting these charitable healthcare initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Evacuation Services (Membership) Medical air and ground ambulance evacuation services providing rapid transportation within a 1,000-kilometer radius of Nairobi to top-tier hospitals in Nairobi or Dar es Salaam, including pre-approved evacuations, ground ambulance transfers, and constant medical supervision. Sold via Short Stay (14 days to 2 months), Annual, and Corporate membership plans.
• Fistula Programme Medical outreach program providing free life-changing fistula surgeries and treatment to women suffering from Female Genital Fistula (FGF), along with education, advocacy, and psychosocial support to restore dignity and hope.
• Outreach Programme Healthcare capacity building initiative providing essential training to healthcare workers in East Africa's hard-to-reach areas, supporting hospitals in Kenya and Tanzania with specialist outreach and sustainable healthcare development.
• Branded Merchandise Apparel merchandise including branded polo shirts and caps, with all proceeds supporting FDSA's charitable healthcare programs.
• Donations Cause-specific donation options supporting General Donation, Charity Evacuations, Outreach Programmes, Fistula Programme, and other Causes, with flexible preset and custom contribution amounts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,000+ women received life-changing fistula surgeries
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Freedom from Fistula Foundation-KenyacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of fistula medical camps alongside FDSA and Kenyatta National Hospital. Partners on the Integrated Fistula Programme aiming to eradicate fistula by 2030.
• Royal Media ServicescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing TV and radio coverage of fistula camps and survivor stories, driving awareness and patient attendance. Citizen TV features have directly led women to seek treatment.
• UNFPAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal partnership through UNFPA's Global Campaign to End Fistula, active in 55 countries. Supports the 'Integrated Fistula Programme' aiming to eradicate fistula by 2030 through community awareness, healthcare system strengthening, and survivor reintegration.
• AMREF Health AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner in medical outreach programs. AMREF has partnered with Kenyatta National Hospital for six years running conducting nationwide VVF camps. Supports fistula treatment and training of medical personnel.
• Ministry of Health (Kenya)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for fistula camps and the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula. The Kenyan government plans to build five more fistula centers by next year and train additional surgeons.
• County Government of NairobisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of International Day to End Obstetric Fistula events.
• Save a Woman FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of IDEOF 2026, supporting fistula treatment and awareness.
• Beyond ZerosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of IDEOF 2026, supporting maternal health initiatives.
• Kenya Red Cross (Emergency Medical Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for charity evacuations including road ambulance transport from airports to hospitals. Example: Rose from Wajir evacuation to Nairobi Women's Hospital.
• Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for gender-based violence cases requiring medical evacuation. COVAW referred Rose's case for charity evacuation to specialized care.
• Hand in Hand East AfricasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnterprise training partner supporting fistula survivors like Carolyne Lwiki with small business skills, enabling economic independence post-surgery.
• Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint Movie Night fundraiser in November 2012 raising KSh 454,350 for fistula programs. Net contributed income from ticket sales and sponsorships.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fistula Foundation: US-based nonprofit dedicated exclusively to obstetric fistula treatment, partnering with FDSA on the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula. Comparable mission focus on fistula eradication and similar hospital partnership model.
• AMREF Health Africa: Africa's largest health-focused NGO, headquartered in Nairobi with long-standing fistula programs and air ambulance operations. Directly comparable mission, geographic footprint, and partner network (including AMREF House, which hosts FDSA's headquarters).
• Freedom from Fistula Foundation: UK- and Kenya-based NGO providing free fistula surgeries and co-organizing medical camps with FDSA and Kenyatta National Hospital. Direct co-program partner with shared beneficiary base and methodology.
• Kenya Red Cross: National humanitarian organization providing emergency medical response, ambulance services, and disaster relief in Kenya. FDSA explicitly partners with Kenya Red Cross for charity evacuation ground transport, reflecting overlapping emergency response mandates.

Others

• Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW): Kenyan NGO addressing gender-based violence, with a referral partnership that channeled Rose's charity evacuation to FDSA. Indirectly comparable in mission overlap (women's health and dignity) and beneficiary referral pipeline.

Emerging players

• M-Pesa Foundation: Corporate foundation of Safaricom funding fistula surgeries and maternal health programs (KSh 8.5M, 2024). Comparable social mission and program funding approach, though operating as a grantmaker rather than service provider.
• Medevac Kenya / African Air Ambulance: Commercial air ambulance operators serving East Africa. Comparable aircraft fleet and evacuation service, but competing on a for-profit basis for the corporate and expatriate segment that overlaps with FDSA's commercial memberships.

Broad incumbents

• International SOS: Global leader in medical and travel security services, including air ambulance evacuations across Africa. Comparable emergency evacuation services for corporate and expatriate clients, but operates at a much larger scale and as a commercial, rather than membership-funded, social enterprise.
• UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund): UN agency running the Global Campaign to End Fistula in 55 countries, including strategic partnership with FDSA. Comparable mission focus on obstetric fistula and women's health, but operates at global scale with government funding rather than membership.

Regional players

• St John Ambulance Kenya: Kenyan chapter of a global first-aid and ambulance services organization. Comparable ambulatory and emergency response services across Kenya, with similar volunteer-driven cost structure and community health mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FDSAfrica
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@flyingdoctorssocietyofafri8921
• Facebookfacebook.com/FDSAfrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-flying-doctors-society-of-africa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Flying Doctors' Society of Africa