Maternal morbidity and mortality are prevalent issues worldwide that profoundly affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Africa. Estimates vary, but by the end of 2015, at least 300,000 women died in LMICs due to preventable pregnancy and childbirth conditions. Pregnant women die from complications that could be detected and managed if they were able to receive early access to necessary health interventions. Mobile technology is increasingly common across the globe, including LMICs, and incorporating digital health technologies, especially mobile phone (mHealth) programs, can offer a possible solution to morbidity and mortality related to pregnancy. A literature review analyzing the impact of mHealth programs on maternal health was conducted from various online databases. Nineteen articles that were published in the last ten years and contained technology-based interventions used for maternal health were reviewed. Inclusion criteria included countries listed as low-income and middle-income in the 2017 World Bank list of economies. The studies suggest mHealth programs have the potential to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality by increasing knowledge of safe health practices for pregnant women, community health workers, and traditional birth attendants. Mobile health technology also provides crucial information to providers when complications arise and can improve health facility utilization leading to increased deliveries with skilled birth attendants. This reinforces the need for more mHealth initiatives to be implemented in LMICs, addressing the barriers and community characteristics to positively impact and reduce maternal death in these settings.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:honorstheses-1490 |
| Date | 01 January 2019 |
| Creators | Tadele, Samerawit |
| Publisher | STARS |
| Source Sets | University of Central Florida |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Honors Undergraduate Theses |
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