UP to use WhatsApp-based pregnancy care to cut maternal mortality

The State Transformation Commission (STC) is developing a WhatsApp-based pregnancy registration and maternal care programme intended to enable easier tracking of pregnant women from early pregnancy. The initiative would allow a single registration by the family of the unborn child, after which the app would help schedule check-ups, maintain medical records, and suggest a healthcare facility for delivery based on complication data. The programme aims to reduce maternal mortality by matching the state's MMR to levels reported by Tamil Nadu and Kerala (below 40 per lakh live births). UP's current MMR is cited as 141 per lakh live births (SRS 2021–23). The app would generate check-up dates and recommend facilities for delivery with a tentative delivery date, and would direct patients to appropriate healthcare facilities if complications are detected. Existing data show about 60% of deliveries occur at community health centres, 28% at district hospitals, and 12% at lower-level facilities; haemorrhage accounts for nearly half of maternal deaths.