How text messages save lives in Assam; a state with highest maternal deaths

Assam's MMR of 300 is double India's average

Tezpur, Assam: On a sunny, winter afternoon here on India’s eastern edge, in a land where mothers die in the highest proportion nationwide, a few men, children, and about 40 women–either pregnant or cradling infants–listened to a robust, articulate woman talk in the local Sadri dialect about a text message that could save their lives.

“It’s your duty to get regular check-ups done, to ensure that both you and your child are disease-free. And speak up if you’re treated unfairly when seeking treatment,” said Geeti (name changed), a paralegal coordinator with End Maternal Mortality Now