Pathways uses data and research to uncover what’s getting in the way of good health—and what can be done about it.

Pathways is a digital platform based on a vulnerability approach to population segmentation. Since 2019, Pathways has been used by partners to more precisely and intentionally forecast, resource, design, and evaluate holistic health solutions in over twenty projects in seven countries – with more to come.

Pathways groups communities based on their health vulnerabilities, helping partners quickly take action to improve health outcomes by providing reliable women-centered data, research-backed insights, intuitive tools, and customized technical support. Pathways uses a quantitative algorithm to cluster or segment households into groups based on social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors. Additional qualitative research and analyses are applied to further explore vulnerability or risk factors and health outcomes experienced by specific population segments.

Traditional global health approaches focus on reaching the largest population with a single approach within the health system, frequently ignoring the vulnerabilities that impact people's ability to access care.

Pathways groups households based on vulnerability factors, allowing us to more precisely target sub-populations with the right interventions.

These quantitative data and qualitative insights are joined into rich segment profiles on the publicly accessible Pathways digital platform—currently available in Beta—which health program analysts, policymakers, donors, and implementers can use to better understand and explore population segments. The Pathways platform is powered by a robust and open-source data warehouse and content management systems.

Pathways supports partners from end-to-end—creating a supportive cycle from strategy development, to intervention design and implementation, to impact measurement.

Pathways helps partners to:

• Gain deeper insight into the unique needs and circumstances of distinct groups within a population. Pathways knows that communities are not homogenous and that one-size-fits all solutions frequently fail to meet the needs of many.
• Understand and respond to the disproportionate burden of disease experienced by women and children. Pathways is committed to reaching the unreached and addressing the fact that women spend 25% more time in poor health than men.
• Move beyond siloed approaches and fragmented data to support more integrated health strategies, programs, and interventions. Pathways enables solutions designed around an individual’s full lived experience, not their isolated health issues.