Mobile Health Information and Decision Support System Architecture: Enhancing Maternal Healthcare Access in Uganda

Abstract

Background: Maternal Health Information (MHI) is vital for empowering Pregnant and Postpartum Mothers to make informed decisions. However, access to this information remains a significant challenge in low-resource countries (LRCs) like Uganda, contributing to unacceptably high maternal mortality rates.
Methods: This study adopted a qualitative case study research design. Data was collected from 50 purposively selected respondents, including Pregnant and Postpartum Mothers, medical workers, and Village Health Team (VHT) members, using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires at two health facilities in Uganda.
Results: The study identified key impediments to Maternal Health Information access, including financial instability, inadequate spouse support, long waiting times at health facilities, the negative attitude of health workers, and language barriers. While health facilities were the primary source of information, Maternal Health Information was often reported as untimely and irrelevant to mothers’ specific needs.
Conclusion: The proposed architecture is designed to bridge the gaps by extending relevant, reliable, and multilingual MHI directly to mothers, thus empowering their decision-making process and having the potential to reduce maternal mortality in Uganda and similar low resource countries.