However, with so much technology entering the space, Vellenga said organizations need to get better at recognizing what is making a difference and what isn’t, and that oftentimes new projects go on too long despite not working.

“If it doesn’t make a difference, stop, try something else. If it makes a difference, quickly go to scale and get everyone excited, and that should be underpinned by evidence and solid research. Those are the things we just need to get better at: really understanding what the issues are, working with the best people around you who can really make a difference.”

Ruth Maithya and her students in a training session.

Technology on its own isn’t the silver bullet when it comes to improving the standard of nurses and midwives across Kenya though, warned Maithya. Increased advocacy and funding are vital, she said, to ensure more skilled birth attendants are employed and that there are adequate supplies available to deliver the highest quality of care and prevent lives lost in childbirth.

Vellenga added that while there is always space for innovation and technology in tackling health issues, ultimately it shouldn’t turn the health community away from what it knows best and the traditional methods of care. “That’s where we need to strike the balance,” he said.