watotoCare: pilot data shows 240% increase in newborns retained in the healthcare system

Every year in Africa, over 1 million newborns die within the first month of life. It is estimated that as many as 25%
of these newborn lives could be saved if they stayed connected to the healthcare system, accessing the
WHO-recommend 4 post-natal care visits during the first 6 weeks of life. In Tanzania alone, 12,000 babies could
be saved each year.

watotoCare is a technology-enabled program that pre-schedules post-natal care visits for newborns and then
ensures that those visits happen. Babies are risk-stratified based on their health status upon discharge from
the hospital and then high-risk babies receive transportation to and from the hospital for all follow-up visits;
medium-risk babies conduct follow-up visits through a telehealth link; and low-risk babies receive health
education support to encourage good health-seeking behavior.

watotoCare is being piloted over 2 years at the Sengerema District Hospital in northern Tanzania and early data
is showing remarkable results: in high- and medium-risk babies, we are seeing 240% increased retention in the
care system and an 80% decrease in hospital re-admission for high-risk babies.

Research is being led by Principal Investigator Dr. Martha Mkony from MUHAS with support from a team at the
Harvard School of Public Health, led by Dr. Kim Wilson.