02 March 2021
Vodacom DRC and Mondia have launched a maternal health service
Vodacom DRC and Mondia, a private mobile technology company, have rolled the Mum & Baby maternal health service across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The free-of-charge mobile health intervention service that provides Vodacom DRC subscribers with maternal, neonatal and child health information designed to encourage good health practices amongst pregnant women, mothers, partners and caregivers. Mondia creates Mum & Baby's tailored content in the local language, and includes expert articles, videos and information-sharing SMS messages.
Amadeo Rahmann, Mondia’s Group CEO, said "accessing healthcare services in Africa can be challenging, and Mum & Baby provides a free and convenient way of accessing instant expert advice where it is most needed. The Mum & Baby service leverages Mondia's extensive networks and expertise in content production and curation, and we expect it to continue to deliver positive social impact wherever it is rolled out".
Rahman added: "Ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing for all ages is one of the United Nations (UN)17 Sustainable Development Goals, with the attainment of this goal, especially as it relates to infant health, having been threatened by the burden of Covid-19 on African healthcare systems. According to the World Health Organization, each year around 300 000 African babies die on the day of their birth, most often as a result of inadequate educational maternal and neonatal care. Initiatives that put the power of good health directly in people's hands are more important than ever."
Launched in South Africa in 2017, the Mum & Baby service had 1.2 million registered subscribers as of August 2018. The next rollout of the service will take place across Lesotho later this month.
