JANAM app New Pregnancy App for South Asian Families Launched in Leeds:A pioneering digital health initiative aimed at improving maternity care for South Asian communities has been launched by the maternity team at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The free JANAM app is designed as a comprehensive, culturally sensitive resource to support expectant mothers and families throughout the pregnancy journey.
Read similar article: From Hyderabad to North America: Two Hyderabadis Launch Babies4.US, the World’s First Virtual Fertility Platform
Developed with direct input from pregnant women and healthcare professionals, the app offers a rich library of informational videos available in seven languages—English, Gujarati, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, and Tamil—making it more accessible to diverse communities. The videos feature both medical experts and patients sharing real-life experiences, ensuring the content is relatable as well as informative.
The JANAM app covers a wide range of topics, including antenatal care, labour and delivery, pregnancy-related conditions, mental health, emergencies, bereavement, and postnatal care. Users can also personalize their experience by creating a pregnancy calendar and opting to receive timely public health notifications.
Speaking about the initiative, Jenny Roddy, Consultant Midwife for Health Equity, highlighted the app’s significance:
“We are really pleased to be bringing the JANAM app to South Asian communities in Leeds. The app helps South Asian mums feel confident and informed every step of the way. It’s easy to use and is a great way of sharing information that people can understand and relate to.”
She added that the app includes valuable guidance on birth choices, pain relief options, induction of labour, caesarean birth, and other important aspects of pregnancy that have already proven popular among families.
The initiative also seeks to address longstanding disparities in maternal health outcomes. According to healthcare professionals, women from Global Ethnic Majority backgrounds often face poorer pregnancy and postnatal outcomes at a national level. By providing accessible, language-specific information, the app aims to empower women to make informed decisions about their care.
Tasneema, a midwife and one of the app’s champions, expressed optimism about its impact, stating that the JANAM app will significantly improve awareness, understanding, and access to maternity services for South Asian families.
The app was developed collaboratively by University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and University of Leicester, ensuring that all content is evidence-based and aligned with current medical standards.
The JANAM app will be offered to all new patients from South Asian backgrounds in Leeds, though it can be accessed at any stage of pregnancy or in the early postnatal period. Patients interested in using the app can request an access code from their midwife.
Healthcare leaders hope that this innovative tool will serve as a model for inclusive maternity care, bridging communication gaps and improving outcomes for underserved communities across the UK.
