The MomConnect mHealth initiative in South Africa: Early impact on the supply side of MCH services

Abstract

MomConnect is an mHealth initiative giving pregnant women information via SMS. We report on an analysis of the compliments and especially complaints component of the feedback. We scrutinised the electronic databases containing information on the first seventeen months of operation of MomConnect. During this time, 583,929 pregnant women were registered on MomConnect, representing approximately 46 per cent of pregnant women booking their pregnancy in the public sector in South Africa. These women gave feedback on services received: 4173 compliments and 690 complaints. Nearly three quarters (74 per cent) of all complaints were resolved. The complaints were classified into those related to health services (29 per cent), staff (22 per cent), health systems (42 per cent) and other (6 per cent). These complaints were fed back to managers in the health facilities. This has resulted in improvements in the quality of services, e.g. decreased drug stock-outs and change of behaviour of some health workers.

Are we doing enough? Improved breastfeeding practices at 14 weeks but challenges of non-initiation and early cessation of breastfeeding remain: findings of two consecutive cross-sectional surveys in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

“…In South Africa, previous estimates of EBF rates have been low [11,12], and there are high rates of stunting among South African children [13]. In recent years several breastfeeding support initiatives have been implemented including mother-baby friendly initiative (MBFI) [14], kangaroo mother care (KMC), SMS support for pregnant women and mothers (MomConnect) [15], and the KwaZulu-Natal initiative for Breastfeeding Support (KIBS) described below, of which this study forms a component. Recent evidence from the KIBS baseline suggests that exclusive breastfeeding practices have improved in KZN [13], but that challenges remain for working mothers and those who are HIV positive [16].…”

Smartphone usage and preferences among postpartum HIV-positive women in South Africa

“…However, short message service (SMS) technology remains the primary mode of delivering these interventions for PMTCT. One example includes MomConnect, a national mHealth text support service offered to pregnant women in South Africa (Barron, Pillay, Fernandes, Sebidi, & Allen, 2016).…”

SMS messaging to improve ART adherence: perspectives of pregnant HIV-infected women in Kenya on HIV-related message content

“…A few studies have used messages referencing ‘medication’, but not ‘HIV’ (Georgette et al, 2017; Mbuagbaw et al, 2015; Schwartz et al, 2015). To date, one intervention (South Africa’s MomConnect program, which has >500,000 subscribers) includes overt HIV-related SMS in its educational content (Barron, Pillay, Fernandes, Sebidi, & Allen, 2016; Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action, 2014). Design of HIV-related communication in SMS interventions is influenced by the intervention’s theoretical basis, and also by what is acceptable and ethical in the study population.…”