Maternity Care

Maternity Care

Maternity Care

A medical system of mobile clinics, tents, and a digital platform connecting pregnant women in rural Nepal with doctors for safe maternity care.

Tsinghua University

4 Months

Product Designer, UXUI Designer

Rhino, KeyShot, Figma

IDA Gold & Silver Winner

BACKGROUND

Beyond Emergency Rescue

Beyond Emergency Rescue

Beyond Emergency Rescue

Pregnant women in rural Nepal face a high mortality risk. Professor Roger Smith’s Innovative Helicopter Retrieval Project addresses this by airlifting women with complications during delivery in remote areas to tertiary hospitals, backed by $92 million in funding. While the project has saved many lives, it requires significant resources and focuses only on delivery. As a designer, I believe maternity care should provide long-term support throughout pregnancy.

CHALLENGES

1

1

Awareness Improvement

Raise awareness of the importance of maternity care and motivate pregnant women in rural Nepal to accept it.

2

2

Accessibility Enhancement

Enable pregnant women in rural Nepal to access doctors and maternity services more easily.

3

3

Standard Treatment

Ensure consistent, reliable, and high-quality maternity care in rural Nepal, where hospitals are often under-resourced.

4

4

Entire Pregnancy Support

Provide at least 4 antenatal and 3 postnatal visits, in line with WHO’s recommended standards.

RESEARCH

Preventable Maternal Mortality

Preventable Maternal Mortality

Preventable Maternal Mortality

Nepalese pregnant women face a maternal mortality risk 21 times higher than in developed countries. The main causes are indirect factors such as early childbearing, frequent pregnancies, poverty, and inadequate healthcare, which account for 32%, followed by haemorrhage at 26%. With proper antenatal care, however, doctors can provide timely support to help reduce many of these deaths.

Low Awareness of Maternity Care

Low Awareness of Maternity Care

Low Awareness of Maternity Care

Nepal is one of the least developed countries, where women’s education levels are low, with 84.56% completing only secondary education. Limited internet and mobile phone access further isolates women from essential information on maternity care and pregnancy risks. As a result, awareness of the importance of maternity care remains low.

Limited Medical Capacity

Limited Medical Capacity

Limited Medical Capacity

The quality of hospitals in rural Nepal is very poor, and they can provide only basic treatment. As a result, even pregnant women who recognize the importance of maternity care cannot receive standard treatment when they go to the hospital.

Medical facilities and equipment are insufficient and limited in type.

Doctors are insufficient, with only 1 available for every 2,300 people.

Poor Roads, Poor Access to City Hospitals

Poor Roads,

Poor Access to City Hospitals

Poor Roads,

Poor Access to City Hospitals

Road density and quality in Nepal are very low, with 87% of roads unpaved, making it difficult for pregnant women in rural areas to access proper medical care in secondary and tertiary city hospitals.

CONCLUSION

For pregnant women in rural Nepal, low awareness of maternity care and limited access to effective services lead to high maternal mortality and poor pregnancy experiences.

REFERENCE

Rural Healthcare Solutions

Rural Healthcare Solutions

Rural Healthcare Solutions

I explored several solutions that support people in rural areas in accessing standard healthcare and used them as references for this project.

Keller Rinaudo

Keller Rinaudo

Using drones to deliver essential medical products in remote areas.

Ek Ek Paila

Ek Ek Paila

Establishing 12 health camps to provide medical care for villagers.

Digital LifeCare

Digital LifeCare

Creating a health record platform to support the management and tracking of non-communicable diseases.

Ariadne Lab

Ariadne Lab

Deploying trained paramedics to patients’ homes for video consultations and data transfer, enabling doctors to provide timely care.

IDEATION

Mobile Maternal Healthcare Center

Mobile Maternal Healthcare Center

Mobile Maternal Healthcare Center

I designed a mobile maternal healthcare center that enables trained doctors to travel to villages and provide standardized maternity care to pregnant women in Nepal.

SERVICE BLUEPRINT

Maternity Care Journey

Maternity Care Journey

Maternity Care Journey

I used a service blueprint to illustrate the key processes, touchpoints, and stakeholder interactions, showing how standard maternity care is delivered to pregnant women in rural Nepal.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Mobile Clinic

Mobile Clinic

Mobile Clinic

I redesigned a motorhome into a mobile clinic, equipping it with essential medical facilities for maternity care.

I tested the area size to verify that the space met ergonomic standards.

Disinfection Room

Disinfection Room

Disinfection Room

Maternity Care Room

Maternity Care Room

Maternity Care Room

Delivery Preparation Room

Delivery Preparation Room

Delivery Preparation Room

Tailgate Tent

Tailgate Tent

Tailgate Tent

I utilized the umbrella-style quick-open structure to design a tailgate tent with three interconnected spaces, which can be separated by door curtains when needed.

Mobile Maternal Healthcare Center

Mobile Maternal Healthcare Center

Mobile Maternal Healthcare Center

The rear of the mobile clinic connects to the tailgate tent, creating a space where doctors can provide delivery services to pregnant women.

UXUI DESIGN

Intelligent Healthcare Platform

Intelligent Healthcare Platform

Intelligent Healthcare Platform

KEY TAKEAWAY

Systems Thinking

Systems Thinking

Systems Thinking

Through this project, I recognized the importance of systems thinking in design. I integrated physical infrastructure, digital tools, and medical staff into a cohesive network that delivers comprehensive maternal care for pregnant women in rural Nepal. By considering every stage of the maternity journey and coordinating stakeholder interactions, I designed a solution that functions as an interconnected whole rather than a single, isolated service, enhancing the overall maternity care experience.

Long-term Impact

Long-term Impact

Long-term Impact

Through this project, I learned the importance of considering long-term impact in design. Compared with emergency helicopter transfers, the system I created delivers lasting benefits: it raises women’s awareness of maternity care through multiple touchpoints with doctors, strengthens local healthcare networks by training staff and providing a digital record system for sustained maternal health management, and reduces infant mortality by improving maternal health outcomes.