Artificial Intelligence to reduce maternal mortality rates (MMR) in India.
A med-tech start-up in Bangalore has introduced two projects to revolutionize the healthcare sector. JioVio, a Singapore-based company aims to improve maternal health in India. Their two projects, “Allomom” and “Savemom” are the latest innovative applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Using AI as a medium, the apps connect pregnant women with officials for efficient healthcare. According to reports by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the MMR in India is estimated at 167 deaths per 100, 00 live births. The number is high and includes mostly illiterate and rural women who don’t get proper healthcare opportunities.
The UNICEF records also show that annually, 44,000 women die due to pregnancy-related causes in India. Healthcare has been the same for many years, though several government schemes like Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) have created a difference by introducing free maternal health services in rural areas.
JioVio was started in 2016; they have been recognized by the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) as one of the best start-ups in artificial intelligence. “Savemom”, is an app that works as a healthcare solution for expecting mothers in the remote regions of India. The device collects data from a pregnant woman and sends it to a portal that can be accessed by the Primary Healthcare Centre worker or doctor.
In rural regions, the PHC’s are far and not many pregnant women opt for regular checkups; the app is helpful for these mothers as their checkups can be more efficient, and real-time data can be safely stored in devices.
Senthil Kumar, CEO of Jiovio said, “’Savemom’ is a game-changer app in the med-tech industry. AI will facilitate better healthcare in rural regions in the country. Most women don’t go for regular checkups in villages; the PHC workers who are appointed to deliver maternity services often fabricate data and reports. This app will change that forever, as the data collected from the mother will be sent to the portal through the ‘cloud’ and the whole process of creating medical records will be digitized. This will prevent ill practices in these areas and ensure better maternal health.”
The other app, ‘Allomom’, was introduced by the start-up in 2018. This mobile-based application is targeted at pregnant women in urban regions. The kit comes with a wearable tracker which monitors both mothers’ and foetus’ health. The tracker sends real-time data to a receiver (family or doctor). The app also suggests proper diet and nutrition for the mother and signals family members during a sudden emergency. It helps in medical care as well by informing pregnant women about the necessary medicines and supplements to be taken.
Jyothi Kumari, an accountant at General Mills, told the Softcopy newspaper that during her pregnancy in 2018, she faced a lot of difficulties at the workplace during the initial trimester.
“I couldn’t afford to take off work during my first trimester, because of stress at work, my blood pressure levels would often fluctuate. I couldn’t go for regular checkups and my gynaecologist would often scold me because of my poor diet. It’s not easy to handle work and pregnancy without sacrificing one thing.”
Senthil added by saying that ‘Allomom’ is for those busy expecting mothers who can’t go to the doctor for regular checkups because of their work. These mothers can be reminded about proper diet and medicines, their health can be tracked and the app sends regular notifications to the person of her choice about the mother’s and baby’s health.
