Mtoto: Supporting Greater Access to Pre-and Post-Natal Care for Women Living in Rural Developing Economies
Jakita O. Thomasa, Yolanda Rankinb

Abstract
Regions in sub-Saharan Africa face many challenges around adequate healthcare services for their populations. One particular problem is the high mortality rate of mothers who live in rural areas. One of the most critical interventions for safe motherhood is ensuring that skilled professionals provide adequate care during pregnancy and childbirth. Given the challenges of providing quality pre- and post-natal care to women in developing regions, we examine the participatory design of a mobile app for pregnant and new mothers living in the rural town of Laare, Kenya. Results from two previous studies inform the design of a mobile app, MTOTO (Swahili for “baby”) and provide insight into the notion of literacy, implications for the design of tools and technologies for women experiencing motherhood, and a framework for engaging targeted end-users as co-designers of tools and technologies.

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