The Road to Health app extends a previous successful initiative of the Minister and the National Department of Health which is MomConnect -  a mobile health promotion messaging service targeting pregnancy and early childhood, where pregnant women are able to register for MomConnect at any public health facility or independently and receive free messages providing useful information and tips during the different stages of pregnancy and early childhood development.  

 

The Road to Health app was developed on behalf of the National Department of Health by Jembi and Praekelt Foundation with funding from the South African Department of Science and Technology, Elma Philanthropies, Johnson and Johnson, MRC and Metropolitan Health, with content developed by Ilifa Labantwana and the Side by Side project.

 

Road to Health Launch

On the 8th March 2019 Jembi released their first South African targeted mobile application for Android devices. The Road to Health app allows caregivers, as well as pregnant women, to create a health account and track their infant’s growth and immunization record. The app also provides a digital version of the content and information included in the recently released Road to Health booklet distributed by National Health to all new mothers. 

 

This digital version provides daily news feeds, important information and the ability to update content with interesting information on a regular basis. Information categories currently included in the Road to Health app include development milestones and goals for babies, guides to feeding and management of diarrhoea, warning signs as well as detailed information on the five elements of care which every child needs in order to survive and thrive which are nutrition, love, protection, healthcare as well as extra care for children with special needs.

 

“We understand that data costs in South Africans are still high, and have therefore made the download of the app as well as all communications to and from the app free for the app user” said Chris Seebregts, CEO of Jembi Health Systems NPC.  

 

The mobile app was launched at the Duduza Community Centre, Gauteng on the 8th March in conjunction with the NDOH 2019 South Africa National Vaccination Coverage Survey - a project to collect information that will be used to improve vaccination programs and keep communities healthy and safe from diseases. This project will be conducted in randomly selected households across all 52 districts by trained fieldworkers over the next three months.

 

The Launch saw national dignitaries from the World Health Organization, PEPFAR, Gauteng Province,