PANDA (Pregnancy and Newborn Diagnostic Assessment)

The importance of Antenatal Care (ANC) and Postnatal Care (PNC) for improving maternal and neonatal health is generally accepted, with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommending a total of 8 ANC contacts and 4 PNC visits. However, ANC/PNC can only be impactful when standardized and of high quality. Experience has demonstrated repeatedly that maintaining the quality of ANC remains particularly challenging in resource-poor settings where low-skilled workers are often charged with the task, and little is known regarding best strategies for improving the quality of care in such environments. The WHO has therefore recommended the use of mHealth systems (telemedicine systems based on mobile technology), as they allow access to essential services to ensure the health of mothers and new-borns. Notably, studies in Africa and Asia have demonstrated that mHealth applications are acceptable and feasible for allowing low-skilled health workers to adhere to treatment protocols and health services guidelines

PANDA (Pregnancy and Newborn Diagnostic Assessment) creates a system that enables doctors, midwives and community health workers to work together across traditional boundaries to provide antenatal care to vulnerable populations and to help prevent both maternal and newborn health problems and mortality.