Background

Improving maternal and child health is an integral part of MDGs (4 and 5) as well as health goals under India’s National Rural Health Mission. While NRHM in India has made substantial strides in reproductive and child health, the fact is maternal, adolescent and child health are very closely related. Health of an adolescent girl impacts her pregnancy which in turn impacts the newborn. Therefore, to achieve sustainable reproductive and child health, health at all different stages of life must be taken care of. Another challenge facing NRHM is the inequity regarding healthcare access in rural and urban areas. 75% of India’s healthcare infrastructure is concentrated in urban areas where only 27% of the population lives, devoting the73% majority of basic healthcare. ICT can bridge this gap through telemedicine. An impact driven start-up, Karma Healthcare, innovates in the telemedicine space to provide equitable access to healthcare in rural settings, especially in maternal and child health space.