In developing countries, maternal and child mortality rates remain a major concern. In contrast, developed countries ensure that almost all pregnant women receive at least four antenatal care (ANC) visits and have access to skilled health staff during childbirth and postnatal care. However, in Ghana’s northern region, according to the District Health Information Management System 2, only 92% of pregnant women receive an average of four ANC visits, with only 35.4% attended to by skilled staff during delivery and a staggering 78.2% of nursing mothers and their babies not receiving postnatal care within the first two days of birth.

Timely and appropriate care can prevent unnecessary deaths and improve health outcomes for mothers and children in Ghana. To address this issue, mobile technology has been employed to improve access to health services and reduce delays in accessing healthcare. The Technology for Maternal and Child Health (T4MCH) project was launched in 2015 by Savana Signatures to increase the utilisation of MCH services and ultimately improve maternal and child health outcomes in the Savannah, Upper West, North East, Northern, and Oti regions.

The project relied heavily on the Kpododo mobile technology to send weekly voice messages in ten (10) local languages to educate and remind pregnant women and nursing mothers about MCH services relevant to their gestation, vaccination schedules, health check-ups, nutrition, and other nudges.

Healthcare providers within the project areas were trained and given smartphones and other equipment to collect clients’ information, which was used to generate tailored messages based on the recipient’s gestation or the age of their child.

Together with Savana Signatures, we conducted a mixed-method design across 11 health facilities. Quantitative information was taken from a review of records of MCH services of 248 (128 beneficiaries and 120 non-beneficiaries) women who attended antenatal services. Qualitative data was gathered from 30 (15 beneficiaries and 15 non-beneficiaries) women who accessed PNC (Post Natal Care) and Ante Natal Care (ANC) services at the health facilities. We found that on average, voice messaging registrants attended a greater number of antenatal care (ANC) visits (6.2 visits) than non-registrants (3.9 visits). A majority of the women shared that the voice messages influenced increased knowledge, changed behaviours and increased attendance at ANC sessions.

By providing information about proper nutrition and the availability of health services, the Kpododo technology helped improve health outcomes for pregnant women and young children. The project’s success highlights the importance of utilizing mobile technology to disseminate health information and improve access to healthcare services in developing countries.