Submitted
Maternal & Newborn Health

Check2Gether; saving lives at birth

Team Leader
Roelinde Bakker
Solution Overview
Solution Name:
Check2Gether; saving lives at birth
One-line solution summary:
Check2gether consist of group care and a diagnostic portable kit to improve the access to and quality of antenatal care in the community.
Pitch your solution.

In remote areas of low and middle income countries, 40-60% of the women do not receive proper antenatal care. We combine non-invasive diagnostic tests and a smartphone app to a small kit that any health worker can use to identify high-risk pregnancies. The app instantly displays easy-to-read test results and gives advice for treatment or referral. This new concept helps by empowering medical staff in remote areas. Together with group care Check2gether improves compliance to medication and life-style advice and  empower and engage women to act on their test results and raise awareness on nutrition, breastfeeding, family planning, birth spacing, and facility-based delivery. Care in a group changes the user(s)-provider experience, encourages self-care, is empowering and empowers end-users to learn to increase healthy behaviors for themselves and for their children. The improved outcomes result in a better start to life for more babies and children.

Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?

A great majority of maternal deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Especially in rural areas, 40-60% of the pregnant women have limited access to adequate professional health care. Proper identification of high risk pregnancies is hampered by long distance to hospitals together with shortage of properly educated and equipped staff and limited facilities at community level. Another important challenge is increasing utilization of quality services. This is especially relevant for under-served populations. Pregnant women do not utilize services that deliver poor quality care (in their perspective) and do not provide a safe and encouraging environment. Many complications and even deaths can be prevented when parents take their newborns and children to the doctor before they are seriously ill, when they become more aware about the preventive measures that can be taken, such as a better hygiene.

Elements of high qualitative maternal care are:

  • Good and feasible medical and obstetrical care to detect potential causes of maternal disease and offer prevention or adequate treatment;
  • Personal, educative and supporting interaction aimed at the empowering of pregnant women and to demand better services.

TNO offers such an innovative healthcare approach by combining diagnostic testing and an effective model of antenatal group care. 

What is your solution?

Check2gether is a concept where midwives and community health workers provide antenatal care and diagnostics during interactive, group provision at the community level. Group care replaces the standard one-to-one medical model of antenatal care with a multifaceted model of group care combining medical check-ups with health information and promotion. Each group consists of 10-12 pregnant women with similar gestational age or 8-10 parent-baby dyads. They meet in structured sessions during which they receive:

  • medical care; checkups of the mother and child;
  • participate in a facilitated and interactive discussion and learn care skills;
  • and develop a support network with other group members.

In group sessions, the parents will learn to recognize signs of serious complications and diseases, to take preventive measures and when and how to treat their children and themselves. The integrated tests and app will be used during these sessions to continue testing and monitoring the women’s pregnancies and make referrals when necessary, and ensure earlier advice is being followed. An integrated, non-invasive testing kit and diagnostic mobile application enables professionals to perform key tests for pregnant women to measure blood pressure, HB and glucose and protein in urine, to help identify (pre)eclampsia, gestational diabetes and anemia.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

The very first stages of pregnancy up to the second year of a child’s life are of paramount importance for the physical and mental development of both mother and child. Health complications during this period can have significant effects on a person's health at a later age. By giving parents proper advice early on and through fast intervention when problems begin, we can prevent the need for more serious care later. With Check2Gether we make access to health care possible.

Group care for (pregnant) mothers and their partners, is a proven success especially for the most vulnerable women. Evidence shows that women receiving group care have better pregnancy outcomes and increased satisfaction with care. The evidence of benefits is especially strong for groups of marginalized women in underserved populations.

The diagnostic kit contributes to task shifting to community health workers and decentral diagnostics. Check2gether address both the gaps of the screening for high pregnancy risks at the community level and the referral linkages (decrease in referrals from 40 to 15%).

We cooperate with parents, local care professionals, policymakers and other stakeholders. We seek connection throughout the care chain so that every child gets the care he or she needs.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?
  • Expand access to high-quality, affordable care for women, new mothers, and newborns
Explain how the problem, your solution, and your solution’s target population relate to the Challenge and your selected dimension.

Check2gether is a technology-based mHealth solution because it combines essential diagnostic tests in a decision support system to support the midwife aiming at an average costs of 2 USD per pregnancy.

Check2Gether makes access to high-quality care possible because it’s brings antenatal care in the heart of the community. The screening on high risk pregnancy’s is based on the WHO- and National guidelines.

Group care empowers the pregnant women and midwives to improve experience of care, including improvement of compliance and adherence, resulting in improved quality of care. Infant and child illnesses and poor child development is timely detected.

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Leiden, Nederland
What is your solution’s stage of development?
  • Pilot: An organization deploying a tested product, service, or business model in at least one community
Who is the primary delegate for your solution?
Maurits van der Heiden & Roelinde Bakker
More About Your Solution
About Your Team
Your Business Model & Funding
Partnership & Prize Funding Opportunities
Solution Team:
Roelinde Bakker
Roelinde Bakker
Maurits van der Heiden
Maurits van der Heiden