TEMACC – Technology Enabled Maternal and Child Health Care in Ethiopia

Description

Can there be a significant improvement in maternal and child healthcare practices of rural communities in developing countries, using information and communication technologies (ICT)? The TEMACC research project aims to explore the potential for rural development in Ethiopia particularly to improve healthcare access and quality for mothers and children. It is an interdisciplinary effort by professionals from information technology as well as public health and medicine. We have used ethnographic action research and participatory software design for content selection/adaptation and software design. Assessment will be done with a community-based intervention study. After a base line survey, target groups will get tablets and cell phones as well as training for the software to access information on health-related topics. An end line survey will be conducted to examine the effect of the intervention and to make comparisons with a control district. We have completed requirements gathering and software prototyping. As a result, we have mobile apps for mothers for health-related information access and for natal care notifications. Health extension workers get access via tablets for educational material to teach mothers and for pregnancy registrations. Health officers can additionally consult professionals and record results of daily morning meetings. We are now in the process of software testing and of planning the intervention study. Maternal and child health interventions are generally for the poor and their coverage is limited. The use of technology will help to break the intergenerational cycle of maternal mortality, under-nutrition and the lack of hygienic practices bridging the poor-rich gap at the same time as creating informed mothers and health workers.

Period	29 Nov 2018
Event title	Kepler Science Day 2018, Kepler Universitätsklinikum, Med Campus VI, 29.11.2018, Linz, Österreich
Event type	Other
Location	AustriaShow on map