Kushal Maa

Overview

KushalMaa is a group-based maternal health programme that combines digital health education and peer support to improve maternal and newborn health, including perinatal mental health. The intervention equips expectant and new mothers with knowledge, skills and social support to promote healthier pregnancy and postnatal outcomes.

The study aims to-

• Assess effectiveness on exclusive breastfeeding, postpartum contraception, and depression.

• Examine mechanisms through knowledge, support, and self-efficacy.

• Evaluate cost-effectiveness to inform national scale-up and policy translation in India.

Rationale

Maternal mortality (97/100,000 live births) and neonatal mortality (28/1,000 live births) remain high in India. Despite improved antenatal coverage, postpartum care is inadequate, with only 61% of mothers and 82% of newborns receiving care within two days of delivery. Sociocultural barriers like postpartum seclusion, limited mobility, and geography restrict access. To address this gap, Kushal Maa, a culturally-tailored maternal health (mHealth) intervention using provider-moderated group audio calls and text chat (4 antenatal and 24 weekly postpartum sessions) was pilot-tested. Pilot data showed high acceptability and preliminary effectiveness. This fully-powered RCT among 2,100 women across three states will evaluate effectiveness, mechanisms, and cost-effectiveness for scalability.

Partners

1. The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

2. Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh (PGI)

3. Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-D), Delhi

Collaborators

1. Dr. Rashmi Bagga (PGI Chandigarh)

2. Dr. Mona Duggal (PGI Chandigarh)

3. Dr. Pushpendra Singh (IIIT-D)

4. Dr. Nadia G. Diamond- Smith (UCSF)

5. Dr. Alison M. El Ayadi (UCSF)