Vodafone supports M-Mama programme with $28 million. Vodafone Group’s charitable arm announced plans to expand an Tanzanian ambulance taxi scheme which relies on its network, app and mobile money platform, into other sub-Saharan African countries at a cost of $28 million.
The M-Mama programme launched in Tanzania in 2015 and provides free transport for women experiencing complications in pregnancy, labour or with a new born baby.
Those requiring hospital treatment can dial a toll-free number, with a call centre then able to identify and deploy a local taxi driver registered with the ambulance taxi scheme using the M-Mama app.
Drivers are given training in handling emergency patients and paid for the transportation service through m-pesa at no cost to the patient.
Its first new country will be Lesotho, with Vodafone Foundation and the country’s government investing a total of $4.5 million in expanding the scheme to the nation.
Vodafone Group chief external and corporate affairs officer Joakim Reiter said: “Our long-term investment of $28 million to expand M-Mama within sub-Saharan Africa will save the lives of thousands of women through an emergency service that governments can afford to sustain.”Vodafone supports
By: Elna Schütz [JOHANNESBURG] South Africa has begun collecting data on cancer directly from patients…
Kenya's healthcare system faces numerous challenges, including limited access to specialists, uneven distribution of resources…
Technological transformation has been advocated for a sweeping technological transformation to confront the critical healthcare…
By: Jackie Opara [LAGOS] Artificial Intelligence (AI) could emerge as a potent remedy for long-standing…
The African Development Bank Group has entered into an agreement with the HealthTech Hub Africa…
Dawa Mkononi, a B2B pharmaceutical firm based in Tanzania, focused on using innovation to improve…