Support-Moms mobile support for prenatal care in Uganda
Official title: Integration of a patient-centered mobile health intervention (Support-Moms) into routine antenatal care to improve maternal health in Uganda
Funded at Mbarara University/science/ Technology · NIH-11167755 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests a phone-based app that sends SMS and recorded voice messages to help pregnant women in rural Uganda attend prenatal visits and give birth with skilled care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mbarara University/science/ Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Mbarara, Uganda) |
| Project start | September 5, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $490,990 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD111692-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11167755 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant women receiving antenatal care at participating rural clinics in the Mbarara/Uganda region who have access to a mobile phone are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Women who are not pregnant, who live outside the study area, or who do not have reliable access to a phone are unlikely to be able to participate or benefit directly.
What this research studies
If you are pregnant and go to a participating clinic, the Support-Moms program would connect your phone to scheduled SMS and audio reminders and can engage family or friends to support your appointments. The team will work with local antenatal clinics to add the app to routine care and compare different messaging and support approaches. They will track clinic attendance, births attended by skilled staff, and costs to see which approach works best in this setting. Participation may involve receiving messages, appointment reminders, and brief follow-up contacts about your care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help more pregnant women attend antenatal visits and deliver with skilled attendants, lowering risks for mothers and newborns.
How similar studies have gone: Small pilot mHealth trials, including the project's 3-arm pilot of 120 women, have shown promise for improving attendance, but large-scale evidence and cost data in sub-Saharan Africa remain limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Mbarara University/science/ Technology
Mbarara, Uganda Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Atukunda, Esther Cathyln — Mbarara University/science/ Technology
- Study coordinator: Atukunda, Esther Cathyln
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.