The AI chatbot in Kenya answers pregnant women's questions about pregnancy and newborns to reduce the maternal mortality rate in the country. A network of clinics for pregnant women in Kenya has launched an automated SMS service to send appointment reminders. Once mothers received the messages, they began to respond.
Some asked whether eating avocado during pregnancy is safe (it is!). Others inquired whether certain symptoms like swelling or headaches are normal during pregnancy.
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Using AI to Answer Medical Questions
Initially, Jacaranda hired nurses to answer questions one-on-one. However, in recent years, developers have created a program that uses AI to understand patient questions, prioritize them, and flag questions that may require immediate medical attention. This program, called PROMPTS, is used in 24 counties in Kenya for patients visiting public clinics.
For women who do not have access to the internet or a smartphone, messaging PROMPTS may be the quickest way to get answers. This system also provides a reliable way to determine the necessity of traveling to a hospital.
The Importance of Quick Responses in Emergencies
About 7% of messages are identified by the system as urgent, which are sent directly to nurses. This system is designed to respond quickly to serious issues. In Kenya, approximately 6,000 women die each year due to childbirth or pregnancy-related causes, which is equivalent to 16 women per day. Nearly one-third of these deaths are related to delays in seeking care.
Lisa Moshiga, a policy expert for HENNET, says that PROMPTS helps prevent these delays and gives women a direct line to a health specialist. The program also helps doctors identify community needs and improve the quality of medical services based on anonymous feedback from around 700,000 users annually.
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Source: npr.org
