Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
MomConnect is a flagship digital health initiative co-designed, owned, and governed by the South African NDOH that uses widespread mobile technology like SMS and WhatsApp to support women through pregnancy and the first year of a child’s life. MomConnect delivers essential health information in 11 official South African languages directly to mothers' phones, encouraging healthy behaviors and timely uptake of healthcare services. Through stage-based messages, reminders, symptom checkers and a human-operated helpdesk with AI triage functionality, MomConnect aims to enhance key maternal and child health (MNCH) outcomes and reduce mortality.
MomConnect is deeply embedded into national clinical workflows and digital infrastructure. Pregnant women are recruited to MomConnect by healthcare workers (HCWs) in public health facilities during their first ANC visit. As HCWs digitally capture the details of all pregnancies, MomConnect makes this data available to health administrators, ensuring the government can accurately track health trends, make data-driven decisions, and allocate resources effectively.
MomConnect has achieved massive scale in the last 12 years, with more than 5.2 million mothers supported across South Africa and over 280,000 active monthly users. RCT-level evidence has shown significant health outcomes including improved antenatal care attendance (96%) and improved immunization (91%), compared to national averages (76% and 86% respectively), and increased breastfeeding uptake (9%-13% among first-time and young moms).
To ensure long-term sustainability, a phased handover plan is currently underway to transition MomConnect to full NDOH ownership, where it will be sustainably funded by the national treasury. This makes MomConnect a first-in-class example of digital health platforms successfully embedded within a national health system.
Project website
https://www.health.gov.za/momconnect
MomConnect is a flagship digital health initiative co-designed, owned, and governed by the South African NDOH that uses widespread mobile technology like SMS and WhatsApp to support women through pregnancy and the first year of a child’s life. MomConnect delivers essential health information in 11 official South African languages directly to mothers' phones, encouraging healthy behaviors and timely uptake of healthcare services. Through stage-based messages, reminders, symptom checkers and a human-operated helpdesk with AI triage functionality, MomConnect aims to enhance key maternal and child health (MNCH) outcomes and reduce mortality.
MomConnect is deeply embedded into national clinical workflows and digital infrastructure. Pregnant women are recruited to MomConnect by healthcare workers (HCWs) in public health facilities during their first ANC visit. As HCWs digitally capture the details of all pregnancies, MomConnect makes this data available to health administrators, ensuring the government can accurately track health trends, make data-driven decisions, and allocate resources effectively.
MomConnect has achieved massive scale in the last 12 years, with more than 5.2 million mothers supported across South Africa and over 280,000 active monthly users. RCT-level evidence has shown significant health outcomes including improved antenatal care attendance (96%) and improved immunization (91%), compared to national averages (76% and 86% respectively), and increased breastfeeding uptake (9%-13% among first-time and young moms).
To ensure long-term sustainability, a phased handover plan is currently underway to transition MomConnect to full NDOH ownership, where it will be sustainably funded by the national treasury. This makes MomConnect a first-in-class example of digital health platforms successfully embedded within a national health system.
Project website
https://www.health.gov.za/momconnect
