WHAT IS THE APP
Empowering skilled birth attendants to provide a safer birth for mothers and newborns everywhere.
Every year, around 300,000 women and 5 million newborns die of causes related to childbirth. 99 % of these deaths happen in low- and middle-income countries.
More than 90 % of maternal deaths are preventable with the presence of a skilled birth attendant during delivery. It is therefore crucial that women seek timely care during pregnancy and childbirth, and that all births are attended by health professionals with a sufficient level of training.
The Safe Delivery App empowers skilled birth attendants to provide a safer birth for mothers and newborns – everywhere. The App – developed by Maternity Foundation, Copenhagen University and University of Southern Denmark – is a smartphone application that provides skilled birth attendants with direct and instant access to evidence-based and up-to-date clinical guidelines on Basic Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care.
The Safe Delivery App leverages the growing ubiquity of mobile phones to provide life-saving information and guidance through easy-to-understand animated instruction videos, action cards and drug lists. It can serve as a training tool both in pre- and in-service training, and equips skilled birth attendants even in the most remote areas with a powerful on-the-job reference tool.
Below is the story of the development of the Safe Delivery App.
A world of inequality
May 1, 2010
Every year, around 300,000 women die from pregnancy complications, and 5 million babies die from delivery complications or written the first weeks of life. These deaths exceed the number of deaths related to HIV, malaria and tuberculosis combined. 99% occur in low-income countries representing an unacceptable global inequality.
A vision is born
June 1, 2010
An innovative solution is needed to deal with this challenge. Given that Africa is the second-largest market for mobile phones, the question is straightforward: What if mobile technology could be used to ensure safe births in rural Africa?
Bringing the right competencies together
June 1, 2011
Expertise is key when seeking sustainable solutions. To make use of the best resources, Maternity Foundation joins forces with leading specialists within mHealth, obstetrics and pediatrics Dr. Strine Lund and Dr. Bjarne Lund Sørensen from the University of Copenhagen.
FINDING THE FUNDING
June 1, 2012
MSD for Mothers – a global initiative focused on improving the health and well-being of mothers around the world – agrees to support the development and testing of The Safe Delivery App through their Global Giving Program.
DEVELOPING THE SAFE DELIVERY APP
June 1, 2013
In close collaboration with the scientific partners, The Safe Delivery App is developed. Clinical instruction videos are designed and validated by international mHealth experts. A clinical trial – supported by MSD for Mothers – is initiated in Ethiopia to test the App at 78 health facilities.
MORE PARTNERS JOIN
June 1, 2014
The University of Southern Denmark joins the project as a partner, making its competencies and skills available to the project.
TESTING AND VALIDATION
July 1, 2014
The hard work pays off: The clinical trial shows a significant increase in the skills and knowledge level of the health workers. The health workers improved their skills more than two-fold after 12 months working with the App, indicating a substantial impact on their ability to handle dangerous complications.
CROWDFUNDING: ENGAGING PEOPLE
August 1, 2014
Maternal mortality is an issue that moves many people and the urge to help is universal. In November, a crowdfunding campaign is launched. USD 50,000 is raised to finalize The Safe Delivery App.
LAUNCHING an emergency livesaving tool
June 1, 2015
In April, five years of hard work pays off, and The Safe Delivery App is launched at Maternity Foundation’s 10-year anniversary celebration. The App is now freely available for download for all players within the field of maternal and newborn health. The first implementation partnerships are established.
scaling up with partners
June 1, 2016
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provides support for the implementation and scale-up of the App. Maternity Foundation makes a commitment with UN’s Every Woman Every Child to reach 20.000 skilled birth attendants with the App before end 2018, thereby help ensuring more than 2 million women a safer childbirth.
Launch of updated app
June 1, 2017
An updated version of The Safe Delivery App is launched – primarily based on WHO guidelines, with a more intuitive design and a new individualized learning platform. The interest in The Safe Delivery App has been immense and Maternity Foundation is scaling up with ministries of health, NGOs and international organizations in multiple countries.