mChild+ : Helping realize MDG4: Helping reduce under-five mortality rate by two-third

mChild+
Health companion application:
App download link: http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/mchild/ac2f40f0-307b-48f9-bc63-4c7aa319ee46

mChild+
background:
This is an application that was initially made to help mothers keep track of their vaccinations dates of their children and give an update on when to take back their children for immunization. The MDG4 states that WHO would like to reduce by two-thirds the under-five mortality rate. An this is just one way of helping achieve that.

"6.6 million children under five died in 2012. Almost 75% of all child deaths are attributable to just six conditions: neonatal causes, pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, measles, and HIV/AIDS. The aim is to further cut child mortality by two thirds by 2015 from the 1990 level.

Reaching the MDG on reducing child mortality will require universal coverage with key effective, affordable interventions: care for newborns and their mothers; infant and young child feeding; vaccines; prevention and case management of pneumonia, diarrhoea and sepsis; malaria control; and prevention and care of HIV/AIDS. In countries with high mortality, these interventions could reduce the number of deaths by more than half.

WHO strategies

To deliver these interventions, WHO promotes four main strategies:

• appropriate home care and timely treatment of complications for newborns;
• integrated management of childhood illness for all children under five years old;
• expanded programme on immunization;
• infant and young child feeding.

These child health strategies are complemented by interventions for maternal health, in particular, skilled care during pregnancy and childbirth."

This is an important thing because so many children are still dying from diseases that can be prevented, or ending up with physical deformities that could have been prevented if immunized on time.

This application seeks to work on the pillar of expanded programme on immunization and infant and young feeding.

Hence the need to come up with a method that is personal, effective and also robust.

Function:
Apart from giving just notification on when to take back your child for immunization the applications come with a number of added functionalities that help a parent be able to raise their children well.

1. information on diseases:

The application give you the basic information on the disease that can be prevented by immunization. This educates the parents on the need to immunize the child instead of going of the vaccines blindly.

2. Vaccine information

For the users in Kenya the application will give a brief summary of all the vaccines currently approved by the ministry of health and the times that they should be administered to children. 

3. General information

this application gives breast feeding positions examples, care for the mother after birth, signs that when seen the mother should visit the clinic, a little information on healthy eating, signs of effective suckling, good  breastfeeding positions, good attachment for the child when breast feeding, dealing with a child with diarrhea.

one  of the major killers in children is diarrhoea, and this is one thing that shouldn't be taken lightly.

4. Alarm to remind the parent when to take the child back for immunization

5. child development milestone

For the users not in Kenya the application will only show child development milestone for the child added to the application. the milestones have been divided into five and a section for warning signs. incase this things aren't seen the parent should seek advice from a doctor.  The milestone run for about three years giving the parent a good companion in bringing up a child.

for the residents of Kenya, The application has two extra pieces of information, the schedule on when to take the child back for immunization and the alarm where it shows all the alarm reminder set to remind the parent when to take back the child for vaccination.

6. A picture a day.

Nothing is fun without a picture, the application has a camera capture functionality that lets the mother be able to take pictures of the child as they grow and edit them. Memories are important part in a childs development. 

here are screen shots of the application: How to use the application will be coming soon