Scaling Maternal Health via SAATHI initiative: askNivi's Leap into Public Healthcare in Assam

GUWAHATI, India - April 25, 2024 - PRLog -- Assam's maternal health landscape is undergoing a significant transformation with the introduction of Nivi's digital health solution, askNivi, into 172 public healthcare facilities across Dibrugarh, Kamrup, and Jorhat districts. This expansion marks a major milestone in the e-SAATHI initiative's mission to improve maternal health outcomes across the state.

Addressing Critical Challenges
Despite improvements, Assam faces challenges in identifying high-risk pregnancies, prompting timely care seeking, and ensuring appropriate care delivery. These delays contribute to high maternal and neonatal mortality rates. askNivi addresses these challenges by empowering pregnant women and caregivers with:

• Actionable health information
• Prompt and regular referrals
• Personalized guidance and support throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period (42 weeks of content)

askNivi aims to bridge the gap between pregnant women and the healthcare system by meeting patients where they are, delivering actionable information in their language and context, and facilitating engagement with healthcare providers. This expansion focuses on reaching a broader population at home, especially in underserved areas.

Collaboration for Success
The February 2nd and 8th launch events marked a new chapter in public-private healthcare collaboration. The presence of government dignitaries like Dr. Sashidhar Phukan, Mr. Vikram Kairi, and Mr. Kamal Baruah underscored this collaboration.

Empowering Local Health Workers
The implementation team showcased how askNivi empowers local health workers by training on use of digital tools (scanning QR codes), and onboarding women onto the platform. This ensures that even those in remote areas can access essential maternal health information and services using the askNivi chatbot on WhatsApp.

Long-Term Commitment
The introduction of askNivi is just the beginning. Insights and feedback will be used to meet the evolving needs of pregnant women. Using Nivi Insights, the project will report on data points about the journey of pregnant women in the healthcare system. This data is valuable for improving:

• The quality of care offered by the healthcare system
• Public health interventions

Nivi believes every woman deserves access to equitable and qualitative healthcare. By leveraging digital innovation, askNivi addresses immediate challenges and lays the groundwork for an empowered future for mothers and babies in Assam and beyond.

About e-SAATHI
e-SAATHI (Strengthening ANC/PNC via AskNivi Tailored Health Information, referrals, and follow-up) is a coalition of Population Council Consulting (PCC), Nivi, Inc., Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research (SBISR), Guwahati Obstetric & Gynaecological Society (GoGS), and the Centre for Northeast Studies and Policy Research (CNES).

For more information, visit: https://www.nivi.io