OmwanaThrive: A Neonatal Survival App

Uganda’s infant mortality rate is alarmingly high, ranking twenty-first in the world for highest infant mortality; eighty-one babies die within their first month of life each day in Uganda. The UN reports the greatest risk factors are rural location, prematurity, and young impoverished mothers with limited educational opportunities. Thus, young women are giving birth to children before they even learn about how to take care of their newborn infant. Our solution to this problem is in the form of a mobile application called OmwanaThrive: Neonatal Survival App. The purpose of the app is to educate women about how to properly care for their children and improve health outcomes in neonates. This mobile app will include educational lessons with culturally relevant graphics and limited text, maps to affordable clinics, and an Admin Portal to recommend messages new mothers. Our platform focuses on rural mothers with low literacy rates, broadening their community of care, social capital, and access to healthcare. Our ultimate goal is to make health education accessible to Uganda women and decrease neonatal mortality