US-sponsored MomConnect app provides free antenatal information
HEALTH Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on Friday launched MomConnect — a messaging service meant to provide South Africa’s current 1.2-million pregnant women with vital antenatal information for free.Maternal deaths in South Africa are caused by three main factors, with HIV and AIDS contributing up to 50% of the deaths, followed by hypertension and obstetric haemorrhage.The service is part of a R59m project funded by the US government which contributed R49m along with Johnson & Johnson and ELMA Philanthropies, both of which contributed R5m each.Registering with the app allows a pregnant woman to start receiving SMS messages that speak to her stage of pregnancy.This can be done by dialling *134*550#, allowing an expectant mother to register on the National Department of Health Pregnancy Registry and receive the SMSes.Mothers will also be able to send SMSes free of charge to the ministry to either compliment or complain about the service they received at clinics in South Africa.The SMSes wi...
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