Maternity Foundation and GIZ launch national versions of the Safe Delivery App to strengthen maternal and newborn care in Central Asia
Maternity Foundation and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (German federal enterprise for international cooperation) GmbH have launched new national versions of the Safe Delivery App for Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan to support midwives and nurses in improving maternal and newborn care.
Despite significant declines in maternal and infant mortality over the past two decades across all three countries, midwives and nurses continue to face challenges in accessing up-to-date clinical guidelines and training – particularly in remote areas. The Safe Delivery App addresses this gap by providing evidence-based clinical guidance aligned with WHO recommendations, alongside a competency-based learning platform. It combines animated instructional videos and practical guidelines with structured learning modules alongside other features. The App is free and works offline once downloaded, enabling access anytime, anywhere.
The App and its accompanying training programme have already reached more than 500,000 midwives and other healthcare professionals across over 70 low- and middle-income countries. With the addition of Uzbek, Tajik and Kyrgyz, alongside Russian versions for each country, there is now a strong foundation for expanding reach and impact across Central Asia. These country versions have been adapted to national clinical guidelines in collaboration with government technical working groups and include 14 clinical modules tailored to each country context.
“We are proud to announce the launch of these national versions of the Safe Delivery App for Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, each tailored to the national context and available in both the local language and Russian. This is a really important milestone and has only been possible because of the strong support of the German Government and the partnership with GIZ. Together we will work to strengthen the quality of care for mothers and newborns across remote areas in Central Asia”, said Anna Frellsen, CEO of Maternity Foundation.
The roll out of the App is implemented in collaboration with the ministries of health of the three countries and under the framework of the regional project ‘Improving Mother and Child Health in Central Asia’, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Government. Currently, midwives and nurses in the three countries are being introduced to the App through a cascading training approach, with regional training programmes under way in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. To date, 477 midwives and nurses have been trained through the programme, resulting in approximately 2,000 new app downloads and increasing the cumulative number of downloads across the three target countries to more than 7,000.
Early findings from Tajikistan show strong results. In a survey, 77% report improved obstetric knowledge, 79% report increased confidence in providing respectful care, and 98% confirm stronger clinical decision-making. Results from Kyrgyzstan are even more pronounced. In a survey there, 94% report improved obstetric knowledge, 99% report increased confidence in providing respectful care, and all respondents indicate improvements in their clinical practice.
“The Safe Delivery App is not only a modern digital tool but also an effective mechanism for supporting healthcare professionals in providing timely, reliable, and vital information to pregnant women and new mothers on issues related to pregnancy, the prevention of complications, and safe motherhood. We are convinced that the implementation of such innovative solutions not only improves the quality of medical care but also strengthens the relationship between the public and the healthcare system, as well as broadens access to essential information”, said Cholpon Asambaeva, Head of Programme at GIZ.
The partners will continue to monitor the roll-out and explore further opportunities to expand reach and impact across the region.
The new Safe Delivery App versions for Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan are now all available on App Store and Google Play alongside more than 30 other language versions.
Media Contact
Maternity Foundation: Helle Degn, hellematernity.dk, + 1 202 367 1572
GIZ : Aigul Tokocheva e-mail : aigul.tokocheva@giz.de
About Maternity Foundation
Maternity Foundation is an international NGO that builds skills and knowledge among midwives and other healthcare professionals in remote and fragile settings, improving the quality of care through effective training programmes and its proven digital health solution, the Safe Delivery App.
About GIZ
We are a federal enterprise with more than 50 years’ experience in international cooperation. We promote economic development and employment, are committed to supporting energy and the environment, and work for peace and security, particularly in fragile contexts.
