Vodacom Lesotho lends a helping hand to pregnant women
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…as it launches the Mum and Baby Health Services project
By Lineo Ramatlapeng
With Lesotho’s infant and maternal mortality rates still among the highest in the world communications giant Vodacom Lesotho has stepped in to lend a helping hand through the launch of Mum and Baby Health Services.
Mum and Baby is according to Tšepo Thabisi, Vodacom’s Executive Head of Department customer business and customer value said the project is their flagship health and wellness brand focusing on motherhood.
According to the World Data Atlas, in 2017 maternal mortality ratio for Lesotho was 544 deaths per 100,000 live births. The report says the Maternal mortality ratio of Lesotho fell gradually from 671 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2003 to 544 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017. While the country’s infant mortality rate stands at 68.1 per 1000 live births.
Thabisi said they are proud of the manner in which mum and Baby contribute to their vision of building communities, bringing health solutions to more lives, and promoting good health outcomes.
“We have seen this in Lesotho where the indomitable Basotho spirit has come to the fore, Thabisi said, as people find creative ways to stay connected, support each other and express themselves.
“We see our digital services connecting the people of Lesotho to the world wherever they are via Lesotho’s Blanket Network coverage,” Thabisi said.
In a press release, Vodacom Lesotho said Mum & baby is a freemium mobile health intervention that provides Vodacom subscribers with maternal, neonatal, and child health information, designed to encourage good health practices amongst pregnant women, mothers, partners, and caregivers.
The statement further said Vodacom collaborated with Mondia to create Mum & Baby’s tailored content, which includes videos, expert articles, and information-sharing SMS messages.
Mondia is a leading mobile commerce company dedicated to connecting, digitizing, and monetizing mobile consumers.
The press statement also added that Mondia’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Amadeo Rahmann said the value of the Vodacom and Mondia partnership is now more critical than ever, with Lesotho’s infant mortality rate, which is one of the highest in the world.
Rahmann added that with the coronavirus pandemic people avoid medical services for fear of exposure to the virus; as a result, initiatives that put the power of good health directly in people’s hands remain immeasurably important.
“Mum & baby provides a free, convenient way of accessing instant, expert advice where is most needed,” said Rahmann.
Vodacom said in the statement that Mum & baby also provides interactive tools including a due date calculator, an immunization calendar, a medical reminder, and medicine safety information.
Vodacom notes that the services of Mum and Baby are available in Lesotho in both English and Sesotho also includes a rewards component through which subscribers can earn vouchers, music, and lullabies.
The statement said the mum & baby service in South Africa launched in 2017 had almost 2 million registered subscribers as of August 2021.
