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Jiwa Ibu mobile application designed to improve healthcare for marginalised women across the nation is now available for download across major platforms.
The application will provide localised and tailored information on mental, women’s, maternal and children’s health.
The University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) and Hanai Jiwa Ibu Sdn Bhd (Hanai Jiwa Ibu) joined forces to develop the application.
Hanai Jiwa Ibu is a social enterprise focusing on women’s healthcare needs.
This project has been ongoing for the past three years with UNM and Hanai Jiwa Ibu, alongside St George’s University of London, Universiti Malaya and Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
Strengthening the usability of Jiwa Ibu
UNM and Hanai Jiwa Ibu recently inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise and strengthen their relationship ahead of the app’s official launch to the public.
The collaboration will allow UNM and Hanai Jiwa Ibu to copyright and trademark the app.
The plan to embed Jiwa Ibu application into the Selangkah, Selangor’s healthcare app is ongoing.
“For years, we’ve wanted to shift our focus to Malaysia’s rural and marginalised communities.
“Since the idea began, our team of eight dedicated women have run focus groups involving doctors, nurses, midwives, community nurses and everyday women.
“The application will help users to learn what the ideal women and maternal healthcare pathway should look like,” explained Hanai Jiwa Ibu Founder and CEO Shamala Hinrichsen.
Resolving real issues
Pregnancy complications, domestic violence, sexual abuse and mental health concerns are only a few of the issues women face, more so for those with limited access to the necessary resources.
“We don’t expect to solve the world’s problems, of course, but one tiny step forward is better than no steps at all,” Shamala added.
There is a great disparity in access to healthcare between those residing in urban and rural communities. Rural communities have limited access to quality medical centres and professionals, forcing residents to travel further for quality healthcare.
In 2019, the team visited Likas, in Sabah, to alpha-test Jiwa Ibu and gauged the app’s receptiveness.
The event was officiated by then Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, Hannah Yeoh, who visited the women to support the team’s efforts.
The impact and effectiveness of the Jiwa Ibu app
Whilst Hanai took on the role of the app developer, UNM led the research on the receptiveness of Jiwa Ibu, as well as its impact and effectiveness on women in these communities.
UNM also advised on the app’s content and factors impacting user interface (UI) and user experience (UX).
“The Jiwa Ibu app is expected to benefit 15 million women across Malaysia.
“During its initial alpha-test, the app was downloaded by 3,000 women, with 75% returning to it within one month from downloading,” shared UNM School of Media Languages and Cultures Associate Professor, Dr Joanne Lim Bee Yin.
“Based on the surveys and interviews that we carried out, 95% of respondents also shared that they wanted the app,” she concluded.
The launch of the app
Leading up to the launch, the team has been travelling to parts of Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia to introduce Jiwa Ibu to locals and train the local Community Health Champions (CHCs) to administer the app within their communities.
Jiwa Ibu will include a directory for doctors and healthcare centres within the vicinity and other essential resources, such as those for violence against women cases. Users can also store and track their health records and seek medical assistance through the app.
The app will be available in Bahasa Melayu, English, and other native languages.
Vice Provost Research and Knowledge Exchange Professor Andy Chan Tak Yee represented UNM at the signing ceremony, while Founder and CEO Shamala Hinrichsen signed on behalf of Hanai Jiwa Ibu.
UNM School of Media Languages and Cultures Associate Professor Dr Joanne Lim Bee Yin, and Hanai Jiwa Ibu COO, Viviane Sobral, were also present at the signing ceremony.
The app’s final version is expected to be launched by October 2022. For more information, kindly visit Jiwa Ibu Evolution or download the app in its current version via Google Play Store.
The final version of the app is expected to be launched by October 2022. For more information, kindly visit Jiwa Ibu Evolution or download the app in its current version via Google Play Store.
