- Researcher finds mobile tech can cut maternal deaths
- Study covers 40 projects across Africa and Asia
- Digital tools boost antenatal care by 45%
When Abena Ntim Asamoah began analyzing health data from 40 studies across developing nations, she uncovered a pattern overlooked by both pharmaceutical companies and tech giants: the key to reducing maternal deaths was already in millions of women’s hands — their mobile phones.
A graduate researcher at Harrisburg University in Pennsylvania, Asamoah was studying how digital technologies intersect with pharmaceutical science when she made a striking discovery. Mobile health tools were achieving what decades of traditional aid had struggled to do — dramatically lowering maternal mortality.
“We’ve been treating maternal deaths as a purely medical issue,” Asamoah explains. “But the data shows it’s often an access and information problem — one that technology can solve more effectively than medicine alone.”
Her systematic review, published this week, analyzed thousands of pregnancies across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The findings reveal how digital health innovations — from mobile apps to AI-driven analytics — are saving lives in real time.
Every day, roughly 800 women die from preventable complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, with 94% of these deaths occurring in developing countries. While traditional health programs have helped, progress has been slow.
Asamoah’s research demonstrates that when health systems use digital tools to track, predict, and manage risks, maternal outcomes improve sharply. Electronic health records help clinicians flag high-risk pregnancies early. Machine learning algorithms detect warning signs that humans might miss. Mobile apps collect real-time data and create feedback loops that continuously enhance care.
“We’re seeing the power of aggregated data,” she says. “A midwife in rural Kenya can now benefit from insights drawn from thousands of similar cases across Ghana, India, and Bangladesh.”
Her analysis found that digital platforms increased antenatal care attendance by 45%, telehealth improved skilled birth attendance by 38%, and digital education helped mothers recognize danger signs earlier — often in time to save their lives.
What excites Asamoah most is the integration of these systems. A woman in a remote village might receive SMS reminders linked to her electronic health record, consult a specialist via video, and get personalized advice generated by AI analyzing similar cases.
“This is precision public health,” she says. “We’re applying data-driven methods once reserved for drug development to the delivery of healthcare itself.”
Her pharmaceutical analytics background helped her see what others missed. Where health experts saw logistical obstacles, she identified data challenges. Where developers saw users, she saw patients whose health outcomes could be optimized.
Yet Asamoah’s research also reveals the risks. Digital systems that thrive in cities often fail in rural areas with poor connectivity. Algorithms trained on urban populations may not perform well elsewhere. And electronic records are useless if clinics lack the infrastructure or trained staff to use them.
“Technology isn’t neutral,” she warns. “Without careful design, we risk creating a two-tier system — data-rich cities and data-poor villages.”
Her study found that successful programs trained local workers, worked offline, and involved communities in design. Those that failed treated technology as a quick fix.
Data privacy is another emerging challenge. Many countries lack adequate laws to protect patient information, and Asamoah found cases where sensitive maternal data was mishandled, eroding public trust.
“We need governance frameworks as sophisticated as the technologies we’re deploying,” she says.
The implications extend beyond maternal health. Asamoah’s findings suggest that data-driven digital systems could revolutionize healthcare across Africa and Asia — from managing chronic illnesses to responding to epidemics.
Her work arrives as the World Health Organization urges countries to invest in digital health infrastructure as part of universal health coverage efforts.
For Asamoah, this research unites her passions — pharmaceutical science, data analytics, and improving health outcomes in her native Ghana and beyond.
“We’re at a turning point,” she reflects. “We have the technology and the data. The real question is whether we’ll build systems that reach every mother — not just those easiest to connect.”
The 295,000 women who die each year from preventable pregnancy complications are, to her, more than statistics — they represent a solvable challenge, if the world uses technology not just for efficiency, but for equity.
