Health Experience Design 2021

Although pregnancy is a shared experience of women globally, it is not experienced equally or similarly. Equal access to quality information and quality healthcare for all women cannot be assumed, and is not a reality. There are many factors that influence a woman’s access to information and her experience of healthcare including her age, literacy, nationality, socio-economic status, location, disability, HIV status, LGBTQI+ identification, marital/partnership status, ethnicity, mental health, involvement in sex work etc. MomConnect’s vision is to make quality information available to all women in South Africa, with a special focus on women that do not have access to the sources of information that many of us take for granted: internet, unlimited data, email, apps, antenatal classes, and a private doctor. The women registered on MomConnect attend public health facilities in South Africa where no appointments are possible, they have to wait for hours in line to see a nurse, and discrimination against women that do not fit the ‘norm’ is prevalent. At best, these women receive decent basic information and healthcare. And at worst, they experience extreme discrimination because they are ‘too young’; unmarried; have HIV; are part of the LGBTQI+ community; or are a foreign national. Our challenge is: how do you design a service that makes every woman feel understood, supported and empowered in her unique journey to becoming a mother, and help her to adopt healthy behaviors for her and for her unborn child?