Hello Mama: The 'Magic Phone Doctor' Pregnant Nigerian Women Wish Stayed

Preggify is a telehealth platform that provides 24-hour support for pregnant women, where they can connect with doctors, get prescriptions and receive guidance on how to navigate their pregnancy. The platform also organizes weekly educational classes, conducts regular vital and blood pressure measurements and also monitors expecting mothers’ mental health. The platform was founded in 2022 and has built a community of about 2,000 women.

The PROMPTS AI messaging platform helps connect expecting mothers to proper care to improve maternal and infant health outcomes while reducing the risk of complications. PROMPTS is essentially an AI triage system that allows patients to communicate, ask questions and get referrals to clinics depending on their situation. So far over one million mothers across 21 counties have used their mobile phone numbers to enroll in PROMPTS.

Women in Malawi face numerous challenges in reproductive health, especially HIV-positive mothers, and maternal deaths are still rampant in rural areas of the country. Technology is helping change the landscape of maternal health, with devices such as cell phones being used to provide women in rural villages with vital health information, and drones delivering medications where the roads are too rough for emergency services to access quickly.

Through the mDoc NudgeHub, Lagos residents can access health screenings, coaching, and health education at one of five hubs across the state. People who use the in-person services may be referred to health centers for more in-depth care or receive virtual coaching and education. More than 4,000 women have been served by the hubs so far.

Teenspace is a free online therapy program that offers video and text-based mental health support. Nearly 7,000 teens have signed up for the program so far, and 65% of them have reported an improvement in their mental health since connecting to a licensed therapist through the platform.

The Medeecal app increases healthcare access by providing a range of telehealth services including health education, free medical consultations, preventative care, referrals and follow-up care. As of March 2023, the app has over 1,000 registered patients and provides about eight consultations a day.

The Tufunguke initiative works to raise awareness, educate and provide a community for those experiencing mental health issues. Tufunguke creates a safe space both online through social media platforms and in person through events for people to come together to discuss mental health and get connected with care resources Tufunguke reaches about 100,000 people a month through its many social media accounts.

JEAY Healthcare is an app that provides quick, accessible healthcare that is both convenient and affordable. People who sign up on the app can consult physicians through audio and video calls, perform medical tests, book lab appointments, get prescriptions and order medical equipment straight to their doorstep. Since the app launched in February 2023, there have been 130 daily users recorded between the ages of 18 and 24.

HelpMum offers a vaccination tracker app that allows parents to track their babies’ immunization schedules. Parents can track their child’s vaccination records and see when they’re due for another dose to ensure they’re staying up to date on immunizations.

Accredited social health activists (ASHA) travel throughout Indian villages to combat medical misinformation — specifically among pregnant people — and make public healthcare more accessible. ASHAs connects with over 60% of the women in the villages she serves via WhatsApp, sharing educational videos to avoid the harmful effects of misinformation. As a result, ASHAs have had a massive impact on maternal mortality rates. In 2006, the maternal mortality rate was 254 deaths per 100,000 live births, but in 2020 it dropped to 96 per 100,000 births.