Mobile Devices Enable Antenatal Care in Remote Areas of Nigeria
Boukari Souley
Programme of Mathematical Sciences, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Bauchi State 234, Nigeria.
Ali Muhammad Usman *
Department of Computer, Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe, Gombe State 234/Zone, Nigeria.
Mohammed Gazali Abdulhamid
Department of Mathematics, Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe, Gombe State 234/Zone, Nigeria.
Bala Yahaya Zakariyau
Department of Computer Science, Federal University Kashere, Gombe, Gombe State 234/Zone, Nigeria.
Balogun Oladimeji Lookman
Department of Integrated Science, Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe, Gombe State 234/Zone, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Nigeria is among the developing countries in the world with almost 60% of its population residing in remote areas where health care facilities are insufficient. The latest advancements in the field of computing and information technology especially mobile devices provide a significant opportunity to the rising countries to enlarge a health infrastructure that addresses the needs of the rural population. In this paper, we implement our model for Online Antenatal Consultation System Based on UML and Web Engineering Approach using Dreamweaver Cascading style 6 (CS6) as the front end while PHP serve as the scripting language, while using Cross-platform Apache HTTP Server MySql PHP Perl (XAMPP) server and MySql as the backend. Skype technology was embedded in the application to provide video and voice interaction between expert physician and the nurses in the rural areas as well as the pregnant women in the cities. The aim is to provide a cost efficient and effective antenatal care to the patients residing in the remote areas of Nigeria. In scrupulous, we have at first selected the domain of antenatal care because of disturbing mother mortality rate of Nigeria.
Keywords: Antenatal care, online antenatal consultation system, mobile device