A young Cameroonian engineer
has come up with a tool that could help reduce both maternal death and child
mortality rates. The free application, called 'GiftedMom', sends women texts
containing medical advice before and after their child is born.
On March 13, Cameroon was shaken by the death of Monique Koumatė, a pregnant woman who died in front of the Laquintinie hospital in Douala. Several hundred people subsequently gathered to protest against the hospital's employees, who they accused of neglect.
But Koumaté's case isn't unique. According to a study carried out by the World Health Organisation, in 2011 Cameroon's maternal mortality rate stood at 782 deaths for every 100,000 births, a figure well above the global average. In developing countries, the average rate stands at 239 deaths for every 100,000 live births, whereas in developed countries the figure is 12 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Those grim statistics were enough to convince 24-year-old Alain Nteff that something needed to be done to reduce Cameroon's maternal death rate. An engineering school graduate, he launched his application with the help of a doctor.
On March 13, Cameroon was shaken by the death of Monique Koumatė, a pregnant woman who died in front of the Laquintinie hospital in Douala. Several hundred people subsequently gathered to protest against the hospital's employees, who they accused of neglect.
But Koumaté's case isn't unique. According to a study carried out by the World Health Organisation, in 2011 Cameroon's maternal mortality rate stood at 782 deaths for every 100,000 births, a figure well above the global average. In developing countries, the average rate stands at 239 deaths for every 100,000 live births, whereas in developed countries the figure is 12 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Those grim statistics were enough to convince 24-year-old Alain Nteff that something needed to be done to reduce Cameroon's maternal death rate. An engineering school graduate, he launched his application with the help of a doctor.
"Women receive text
messages advising them on things like when they need to see a doctor,
recommended vaccines and how to breastfeed. Women send a message to the number 8586 and indicate how long
they've been pregnant. Once they've been registered, they receive text messages
every week with advice like when they should go see a doctor. And when the
child is born, we also send out a list of recommended vaccines, the age at
which they should be taken, as well as advice on how to breastfeed. "