MAMA Health Information Program Wins Innovation Award

25 October 2012

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton launched the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action partnership on May 3, 2011.

The Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA) recently won recognition for its unique focus on improving the lives of millions of new and expectant mothers in developing countries, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

MAMA, a public-private partnership to help provide health information to new and expectant mothers through mobile phones, won the 2012 Fast Company Innovation by Design Award in the "Service Design" category, USAID said in an October 22 press release.

The program has launched mobile phone services in Bangladesh and South Africa and has shared its adaptable health messages with more than 70 organizations that aim to reach more than 20 million expectant and new mothers in 35 countries from Afghanistan to Zambia, according to USAID.

MAMA subscribers register for the service by indicating their expected due date or the birthday of their recently born child, and receive weekly health messages and reminders during the pregnancy and up to the infant’s first birthday. By registering, subscribers receive timed messages that include important information on proper nutrition, newborn care, breast-feeding, immunizations and connections to local health resources.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton launched MAMA on Mother's Day in 2011. The founding partners include the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Johnson & Johnson, the mHealth Alliance, the United Nations Foundation and BabyCenter.

Winners were chosen from more than 1,700 nominated organizations, including Nike, Boeing, Ford, Leap Motion and other industry leaders.

The Innovation by Design Competition awards “the year’s most inspiring, ingenious, and innovative design solutions.” Submissions for the award were vetted by 27 independent and prominent judges, from Museum of Modern Art Senior Curator Paola Antonelli to Coca-Cola Vice President of Innovation David Butler.