Entrepreneur develops app to improve pregnant women's health

In a move to empower expectant mothers on the continent with life-saving information, entrepreneur Jacqueline Rogers has developed the My Pregnancy Journey application (app), which gives women and girls tools to make informed decisions about their health and the wellbeing of their growing babies. 

Rogers developed one of Africa’s first educational pregnancy tracker apps, featuring a nine-month digital pregnancy handbook. It offers unique features that update content, videos and information each week, guiding pregnant women through their journey. 

“Africa has the highest maternal mortality, with many African countries reporting one out of four. There are various reasons for this – one being a lack of educational resources and equitable healthcare during pregnancy. 

“Now, our local women and girls don’t have easy access to vital information, guidance and health support. They don’t have access to affordable local resources, health experts, and services,” she said. 

My Pregnancy Journey has revolutionised maternal healthcare, as traditional solutions for pregnant women remain outdated and have not kept pace with advances in technology. 

“Our local expectant mums don’t know what to expect during pregnancy. They don’t know what is happening to their bodies and the growing foetus. With the resources on the app, they can access educational guidance and support,” Rogers said. 

Since its launch, the app has received more than 30,000 downloads, with about 60% coming from SA, other African countries and the rest of the world. 

The rollout of the My Pregnancy Journey app across the continent aligns with the AU’s ongoing efforts to drive sustainable development in Africa. 

Formed to enhance unity and co-operation among African nations, the AU is made up of 55 member states. It plays a key role in representing the continent’s interests on global platforms, including as a permanent member of the G20. 

The union’s role takes on added importance this year, as SA prepares to host the G20 Summit in November. This milestone marks the first time an African nation will hold the G20 presidency, placing the continent in a stronger position to shape global dialogue. 

Rogers added that the company plans to reach more women and girls across Africa by including more South African and other African languages in the app. 

“To achieve this, we need support. This project is huge and we can’t do it alone. Now, there is no pregnancy app available that is translated into our local and other African languages – we would be the first to achieve this,” Rogers said. 

My Pregnancy Journey app features a once-off in-app purchase for the digital journal, with most features available for free. 

“We’ve also just launched our new website, www.mypregnancyjourney.co.za, where we offer plenty of free content, videos and information,” she added. 

The app has been recognised for innovation by multiple organisations, including two MTN Business App of the Year awards and two Huawei accolades – one for Best App and another for Social Impact. 

Most recently, it was honoured at the Africa Tech Summit Awards for its contribution to improving women’s health in Africa. It was also named one of the winners of the Gender-Responsive Innovation Challenge by Unicef. 

“As a result, Unicef provided mentorship in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data science from mentors around the world. They also flew me to Stockholm last year for a round-table discussion with ministers from five Nordic countries around developing sexual and reproductive health solutions in developing nations,” Rogers said.

Rogers' app has also received backing from the Technology Innovation Agency’s Women Technology and Innovation Programme. 

The initiative aims to address systemic challenges in funding, support and development for women entrepreneurs in the technology and innovation sector.