Vodacom DRC and private mobile technology company Mondia have partnered to roll out the Mum & Baby maternal health service across the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Mum & Baby is a free-of-charge mobile health intervention service that provides Vodacom DRC subscribers with maternal, neonatal and child health information.

Mondia creates Mum & Baby's tailored content in the local language, and includes expert articles, videos and information-sharing SMS messages.

According to the companies Mum & Baby’s future enhancements in the DRC will provide interactive tools including a due-date calculator, an immunisation calendar, medication reminder, medication safety information and other health tools and services. The service is available in French.

The partners reference a recent KPMG survey conducted to understand the impact of the Mum & Baby service.

According to the survey, over 95% of respondents reported that they found the SMS messages received useful or very useful for learning new information about their own and their child/children’s health and well-being. Additionally, 98% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they had taken actions to improve their child’s health as a result of the information provided through the service; and 98% of pregnant women and mothers surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that they had taken actions to improve their own health as a result of the information provided through the service.

Dr Amadeo Rahmann, Mondia’s Group CEO, said of the partnership, that "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."

"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 Organisation, 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.”

A spokesperson for Vodacom DRC added: "Mum & Baby has become our flagship health and wellness brand focusing on motherhood. We are proud of the way in which it contributes to our vision of building communities, bringing health solutions to more lives and promoting good health outcomes.”

Launched in South Africa in 2017, the Mum & Baby service had 1.2 million registered subscribers as of August 2018.

Lesotho has been earmarked for the next rollout, scheduled for later this month, according to organisers.