HelpMum, Nigerian Health-Tech Startup Secures $250,000 Grant

HelpMum has been awarded a $250,000 grant from Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, a global philanthropist leveraging technology to build a sustainable future for all.

With a goal to optimise the allocation of interventions which will improve immunisation rates in Nigeria, the fund will enable HelpMum implement and incorporate an AI-based framework called ADVISER, into its existing HelpMum Vaccination tracking system.

Founded by Dr Abiodun Adereni, the social enterprise was built to reduce the high rate of infant and maternal mortality that exists in Nigeria. It distributes affordable Clean Birth kits to pregnant women in deprived and underserved communities, registers mothers on its vaccination tracking system, trains community birth attendants using an E-learning platform, and completes renovation of the highly unhygienic and deteriorated state of community birth attendant homes.

Following its launch in 2017, HelpMum has also delved into e-commerce, enabling mothers purchase all they require in one store. Its app, which includes subscription-based pregnancy tracking, allows mothers save towards the birth of their child, and speak to doctors, as well as therapists.

The startup affirms to have sold over 10,000 units of maternal and baby products — including the HelpMum Clean Birth kit — with over 60,000 nursing mothers registered on the vaccination tracking system and more than 2,000 community health workers using the e-learning platform.

Helping achieve its goal so far, HelpMum has received a total of $500,000 from several grants. They include $250,000 from Google, $5,000 from the United Nations, $50,000 from Global Citizen and $55,000 from Facebook.

September 10, 2022