Highlights
- New app offers pregnancy guidance in seven south Asian languages.
- Covers antenatal care, labour, mental health and bereavement.
- Available to all south Asian patients at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.
Named JANAM, the app features video content in seven languages, including English, Gujarati, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi and Tamil, aiming to improve health outcomes for south Asian communities in Leeds.
Jenny Roddy, consultant midwife for health equity at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We are really pleased to be bringing the JANAM app to south Asian communities in Leeds.
The app helps south Asian mums feel confident and informed every step of the way."
Comprehensive pregnancy support
The app covers a wide range of topics from antenatal care and labour to the post-natal period, mental health and bereavement. Families can create their own pregnancy calendar and choose to receive regular public health notifications.
"We want to support and empower women and families from south Asian backgrounds to access important information about their pregnancies in their own language," Roddy said.
The app will be offered to all new patients from south Asian backgrounds at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, though patients can start using it at any point during their pregnancy and in the early post-birth period.
Anyone wishing to use it can request an access code from their midwife.
JANAM was originally designed by University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and the University of Leicester.
The launch in Leeds represents an expansion of the service to support more South Asian families across England.
The multilingual approach addresses a critical gap in maternity services, where language barriers can prevent expectant mothers from accessing vital health information.
By providing content in community languages, the app ensures south Asian women can make informed decisions throughout their pregnancy journey.
The initiative reflects growing recognition within the NHS of the importance of culturally sensitive healthcare provision and accessible health information for diverse communities.
