Supporting expectant mothers in Africa through technology

Tanzania has a national maternal and child health handbook, but its distribution has stopped. Antenatal records now stay in a paper chart held by the facility, or on a single card given to the mother.

A woman may attend more than one facility during her pregnancy. The card is not always presented at the next visit. Without the earlier records, the midwife starts a new antenatal form. She reconfirms what she needs from the woman and from whatever paper is at hand.

The longer that takes, the less of the consultation remains for health education and for explaining test results. Longer consultations also mean longer waits. Repeating the same checks burdens midwives and mothers alike.

We remove that duplication using the smartphones already in their hands. Mothers and midwives see the same antenatal record. A midwife can build on earlier visits. A mother can check her results and the date of her next appointment whenever she needs to.