HelpMum Africa has won the Grand Prize for AI for Social Impact at the Prix Ars Electronica, strengthening recognition for Nigerian technology solutions addressing maternal and infant mortality.
The award was presented at a ceremony in Linz, Austria, by Hannes Heide, Member of the European Parliament. HelpMum Africa was represented by Senior Backend Engineer Eniola Badmus, who accepted the award on behalf of the team.
The recognition highlights the company’s use of artificial intelligence to improve access to maternal and infant health support. Through AI-powered tools delivered on WhatsApp, HelpMum Africa has reached more than 500,000 pregnant women and nursing mothers across Nigeria.
Its tools include Mamabot, Vaxbot, StratifyAI and ADVISER AI. The services provide support in Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, English and Nigerian Pidgin. This allows the technology to reach women in communities where language and access to healthcare can be major barriers.
Using Technology to Reach Underserved Mothers
HelpMum Africa is a Nigerian social enterprise focused on improving maternal health through innovative and low-cost mobile technology. Its approach is strongly driven by community needs.
The organisation collects information directly from the field and uses those insights to improve its products and services. Its Vaccination Tracker, chatbot and ADVISER AI were developed with lessons gathered during field visits. This gives the team a clearer understanding of the challenges faced by the communities it serves.
Founder and CEO Dr. Abiodun Adereni said the award recognised the work of the entire organisation, including its engineers, health workers, researchers and field staff.
He also said the recognition belonged to the community health workers and mothers HelpMum Africa has served. According to Adereni, the award shows that solutions developed in Nigeria can compete on the global stage.
Addressing a Major Public Health Challenge
The Prix Ars Electronica introduced the AI for Social Impact category this year through a collaboration between CARE Austria and Ars Electronica. The category recognises organisations using artificial intelligence to deliver measurable social benefits.
For HelpMum Africa, the recognition comes as Nigeria continues to face a serious maternal and child health challenge. The country loses approximately 2,300 children under five and 145 women every day.
Limited access to healthcare facilities remains a major concern, particularly in remote rural communities. HelpMum Africa is using technology, research, innovation and policymaking to help close this gap.
Its latest global recognition puts greater attention on how locally developed digital tools can expand access to health information and support, while helping Nigeria address maternal and infant mortality at scale.
