When Shantanu Pathak, an engineering graduate from Lokmanya Tilak College of Engineering, Navi Mumbai, began exploring solutions for India’s maternal health crisis, he wasn’t just thinking of technology he was thinking of the millions of women who lacked timely care. Along with his team at Science for Society (S4S), a social technology collective, Pathak set out to address one of India’s most persistent challenges: high maternal and early childhood mortality.
In many remote parts of India, pregnant women are unable to access essential health check-ups due to distance, cost, and limited medical infrastructure. This delay in diagnosis and care has historically led to preventable complications and deaths.
To bridge this gap, S4S developed ‘Care Mother’, a portable and affordable m-health platform designed for comprehensive pregnancy monitoring. The kit includes a low-cost fetal heart monitoring device and tools for vital checks, all linked to a mobile app that allows health workers to record, track, and share data with doctors in real time. This ensures early detection of risks without requiring the mother to travel long distances.
Today, Care Mother is being used by NGOs, government programs, and hospitals across India, transforming maternal healthcare access in underserved communities. Building on this success, S4S also introduced ‘Care Child’, a similar solution focused on early childhood health.
Together, these innovations are saving lives and reshaping the future of rural healthcare.
