A team of Computer Science students from Kabarak University, led by their Computer Science and ICT Senior Lecturer, Dr. Moses Thiga, has developed an app that digitizes the Mother-Child Booklet, aiming to enhance data collection and reporting in Antenatal care in rural communities.

Mama's Hub allows healthcare providers to view and update mothers’ medical records in real-time.

“The mother-child booklet is an important booklet often forgotten or lost by mothers. Usually, the book carries all the mother's information during her expectancy, and in such cases, healthcare providers cannot closely follow up due to gaps in missing data.” Dr. Thiga says.

Computer Science and ICT Senior Lecturer, Dr. Moses Thiga at Kabarak university has led innovation of Mama's hub.

Photo credit: COURTEY

“Digitizing the booklet offers multiple benefits. It ensures all information is easily accessible and complete,” he adds.

The app enables data transfer between healthcare facilities, allowing seamless transfer of records. Over and above that, a mother's data remains available for her second or third pregnancies, providing continuity of care.

In addition to this, the innovation integrates with a smartwatch to monitor mothers' blood pressure, temperature, and heart rate.

A sample of the smartwatch that provides mother's data in real time.

Photo credit: LELETI JASSOR/MTAA WANGU

This feature is crucial given that pre-eclampsia- a type of high blood pressure that can occur during pregnancy- is recognized as one of the leading causes of maternal and new born mortality and morbidity in Kenya.

With an increasing emphasis on early detection and management, the app shares this data instantly with nurses and the mother's next of kin. It also provides actionable steps to take in case of elevated or plummeted blood pressure readings.

Dr. Thiga notes that while the weekly and monthly hospital visits are crucial, there’s a lack of data between the days. The smartwatch helps collect data daily and enables decision-makers and service providers to have a bigger picture to know what is happening in real-time.

David Saruni, an Information Technology student, believes the future of the app will be a game-changer for mothers and their babies.

David Saruni, an Information Technology student at Kabarak University in Nakuru County.

Photo credit: LELETI JASSOR/MTAA WANGU

“By improving antenatal care, we aim to reduce mortality rates for both. Healthy mothers are the backbone of thriving communities,” he says with optimism.

The team has already tested this innovative system at Annex Hospital in Nakuru and looking to the future, Dr. Thiga foresees expanding the app's capabilities to include postnatal care.

He also acknowledges current challenges, such as smartwatches getting lost or damaged, and plans to address these issues in future versions of the system.

Mama's hub is an NRF funded project undertaken by a consortium that includes Kabarak University, Strathmore University, the Technical University of Mombasa, Intellisoft Consulting Ltd and Emed Solutions Ltd.

Kabarak University launch app seeking to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths

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Leleti Jassor