The Abia State Government has deployed a digital health application designed to identify and monitor high-risk and teenage pregnancies as part of efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality across the state.
The application, known as CYTrack, is being piloted by the Abia State Ministry of Health and has already been used to monitor teenage pregnancies and expectant mothers through delivery, according to the state government.
The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, disclosed the development on Monday, August 10, while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
Kanu said the technology formed part of the administration’s ongoing reforms in the health sector and was designed to help health workers identify vulnerable pregnant women early and ensure that they receive appropriate care.
According to the commissioner, the application has already been used to track teenage pregnancies through the antenatal period and delivery in an effort to prevent avoidable maternal deaths.
How CYTrack Works
The Commissioner for Health, Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, provided further details on the technology, explaining that CYTrack was developed from a pilot project using Google technology.
The application captures important demographic and pregnancy information, including the age of the expectant mother and her last menstrual period.
The information enables health workers to identify pregnancies considered to be at higher risk and determine expected delivery dates and antenatal care schedules.
The system also sends reminders to pregnant women ahead of scheduled antenatal appointments.
According to Uche, when a pregnant woman does not attend an expected appointment, the system can trigger further reminders and, where necessary, alert responsible adults within her community to encourage the woman to seek appropriate care.
The Commissioner for Health explained that the technology is particularly relevant for vulnerable groups, including teenagers, women who have not commenced antenatal care and those who rely on traditional birth attendants.
“This application sends reminders to pregnant women ahead of their antenatal appointments and, where necessary, alerts responsible adults within their communities to ensure that the women receive appropriate care,” Uche said.
He added that the system can also help health workers identify women approaching their expected delivery dates and arrange for them to be taken to appropriate health facilities when necessary.
The commissioner said the system had already contributed to successful deliveries among teenage pregnancies managed through the programme.
151 PHCs Now Functionalised
The deployment of CYTrack comes alongside a broader expansion of primary healthcare services across Abia.
Kanu said the state had increased the number of functionalised Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) to 151, following the addition of three centres between July 27 and August 7.
The number had previously stood at 148.
He disclosed that another 25 equipped PHCs were scheduled to be functionalised within the next three months.
According to the commissioner, the first 50 functionalised PHCs accounted for more than 20 per cent of the 1,067,000 outpatient department visits recorded across the state between July 2025 and June 2026.
The figures, he said, indicated increased utilisation of healthcare facilities following the government’s efforts to improve the functionality of PHCs.
The administration’s approach combines physical healthcare infrastructure with technology aimed at improving how patients, particularly vulnerable groups, are identified and followed up.
Government Plans More Health Worker Recruitment
The state government also announced plans to recruit additional healthcare professionals as part of the ongoing health sector reforms.
Kanu said the Abia State Civil Service Commission would commence another recruitment exercise targeting Medical Officers, Dental Officers and Consultants for both full-time and part-time appointments.
The development follows the recruitment of 742 medical personnel by the state government so far, according to the commissioner.
The additional recruitment is expected to address staffing needs as more healthcare facilities are equipped and brought into operation.
For the government, expanding the number of functional health facilities without ensuring adequate staffing would limit the impact of investments in healthcare infrastructure.
The combination of facility upgrades, personnel recruitment and digital monitoring is therefore being presented as part of a broader strategy to improve access to healthcare and maternal services.
Health Insurance Enrolment Also Rises
The government also reported an increase in enrolment in the Abia State Health Insurance Scheme.
According to Kanu, enrolment increased from 233,000 to 237,000 between July 27 and August 7.
He also disclosed that the Abiriba Community Improvement Union, North America, had committed to sponsoring more than 1,000 people under the health insurance scheme.
Kanu encouraged other communities, organisations and groups to support vulnerable residents by helping them access healthcare coverage.
He also urged pregnant women to enrol in the state health insurance programme.
According to the Commissioner for Health, registered pregnant women are entitled to free maternal health services and delivery, including Caesarean section, under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund arrangement.
Technology at the Centre of Maternal Care
The introduction of CYTrack represents an effort to use digital technology to address some of the challenges associated with maternal healthcare, particularly the difficulty of identifying vulnerable women early and ensuring that they remain connected to the healthcare system.
Rather than relying solely on women to remember antenatal appointments, the application provides reminders and enables health workers to monitor key stages of pregnancy.
The system is also intended to improve communication between health workers, pregnant women and responsible members of their communities when additional intervention is required.
Uche said the application was developed specifically to address Abia’s maternal health challenges and is being adapted to suit the state’s needs.
He explained that the government’s objective goes beyond providing well-equipped hospitals and adequately staffed health facilities.
The administration also wants to identify vulnerable women early and ensure that they receive timely care.
With CYTrack being piloted alongside the expansion of functional PHCs, recruitment of additional health professionals and increased health insurance enrolment, the Abia State Government is seeking to combine healthcare infrastructure, personnel and digital technology in its approach to maternal and child healthcare.
The effectiveness of the initiative will ultimately depend on how widely the system is adopted, how consistently health workers use the information generated and how effectively identified high-risk pregnancies are connected to appropriate care.