Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – MTN Group Foundation and the Gates Foundation have launched a $25 million AI-enabled maternal health initiative in Nigeria aimed at helping 500,000 women access better care by 2030.
The Nigeria Maternal Health Multiplier will also equip 5,000 frontline health workers with digital tools to identify pregnancy and childbirth complications earlier and support 500 health facilities to provide more consistent maternal healthcare.
The four-year initiative was announced in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
It will combine artificial intelligence, mobile technology and improved connectivity to link pregnant women, frontline health workers and primary healthcare facilities.
The programme will use three main interventions: AI-enabled, phone-based decision-support tools for pregnant women and healthcare workers; affordable smartphones and mobile data for women; and improved internet connectivity at primary healthcare facilities.
The partners said the tools would help health workers identify warning signs associated with pregnancy and childbirth earlier and provide timely guidance.
Women will also have access to trusted health information throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period, particularly in underserved communities.
MTN and the Gates Foundation said Nigeria was selected as the first market for implementation because of the scale of its maternal health challenge
The organisations said Nigeria accounts for nearly 30 per cent of maternal deaths globally, despite progress in reducing maternal mortality over the past decade. They also noted that only 59 per cent of women complete four or more antenatal care visits.
MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita said technology could help make maternal healthcare more personalised and accessible.
Gates Foundation Chief Executive Officer Mark Suzman said artificial intelligence could improve healthcare access if its benefits reached communities that need them most.
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Korede Abdullah 
Oluwatobi Adu 