HelpMum Africa Selected for ICONIQ Impact’s $100 Million Child Survival Portfolio

HelpMum Africa has been chosen as one of 18 organisations in ICONIQ Impact’s Child Survival Portfolio, a $100 million initiative that supports local efforts to improve child survival in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The portfolio unites organisations working on nutrition, immunisation, and primary healthcare in some of the world’s most underserved communities.

This selection is a major milestone for HelpMum Africa, a leading digital health organisation in Nigeria focused on reducing maternal and child mortality with technology, artificial intelligence, and community-based healthcare solutions.

As part of the portfolio, HelpMum Africa will expand its main AI-powered solutions: VaxAI, MamaBot AI, and ADVISER. The organisation will also develop new tools to boost immunisation coverage, improve nutrition, and support healthcare professionals across Nigeria.

The organisation also plans to make several of these innovations open source, allowing governments, researchers, and development organisations worldwide to adapt and build on them.

Table of Contents

1. Accelerating AI For Child Health
2. How HelpMum’s AI Solutions Work
3. A Track Record of Innovation
4. Strengthening Child Survival Across Africa
5. About HelpMum Africa

Accelerating AI For Child Health

This funding arrives at an important moment for global child health. ICONIQ Impact notes that millions of children are still at risk because they lack access to vaccines, nutrition, and frontline healthcare, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The Child Survival Portfolio supports local organisations that can deliver scalable, evidence-based solutions to these problems.

For HelpMum Africa, the investment will accelerate efforts to use artificial intelligence to improve health outcomes for mothers and children.

“As part of the portfolio, HelpMum Africa will deepen the impact of HelpMum Africa VaxAI, HelpMum Africa MamaBot AI, and HelpMum Africa ADVISER, our existing AI innovations for immunisation and nutrition, across Nigeria, while building new AI tools to further strengthen outcomes within the nutrition and immunisation space. We will also open source these innovations, creating a foundation that other organisations can build on globally, paving the way for a future where AI-driven solutions in immunisation and nutrition are accessible to every community that needs them, not just in Nigeria, but across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. Together, the portfolio’s partners are advancing some of the highest impact interventions in global health, helping ensure children continue to receive essential nutrition, vaccines, and healthcare during a critical moment for child health worldwide.” — Dr Abiodun Adereni, Founder and CEO, HelpMum Africa

How HelpMum’s AI Solutions Work

The organisation’s expanding set of AI tools aims to tackle some of the toughest barriers to child health and immunisation.

VaxAI helps caregivers and healthcare professionals keep up with vaccinations by sending digital reminders, tracking immunisations, offering behavioural insights, and using AI tools to reduce missed shots. This technology builds on HelpMum’s earlier vaccination-tracking solutions that have supported routine immunisation programs.

MamaBot AI is a chat-based assistant for maternal and child health. It gives mothers and caregivers timely health information and trusted advice on pregnancy, newborn care, nutrition, breastfeeding, immunisation schedules, and preventive healthcare.

ADVISER (AI-Driven Vaccination Intervention Optimiser) uses artificial intelligence to improve vaccination strategies and increase vaccine uptake. Created with researchers and global technology partners, the system uses advanced techniques to find the best interventions for underserved groups.

Together, these solutions show HelpMum Africa’s wider plan to use artificial intelligence to make healthcare better and improve access to life-saving services for mothers and children.

A Track Record of Innovation

HelpMum Africa was founded in 2017 by Dr Abiodun Adereni. The organisation started by tackling maternal and newborn deaths through clean birth kits and community health programs in underserved areas.

Over time, the organisation has become one of Nigeria’s most recognised digital health innovators by using technology, data, and artificial intelligence to improve healthcare access and outcomes.

The organisation has received support from international funders and partners such as Google, Meta (Facebook), the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, the United Nations, Western Union, World Connect USA, and the Africa Visionary Fund. In 2024, HelpMum received a $225,000 grant from the Africa Visionary Fund to expand its impact across Africa.

HelpMum’s founder, Dr Abiodun Adereni, is an Ashoka Fellow and has received international recognition for using technology to reduce maternal and child deaths.

The organisation has reached important milestones in developing and launching AI-driven health technologies. Its vaccination-focused innovations have been supported by Google and research partners, and new AI models and language tools are now available to healthcare organisations and researchers worldwide. Public reports show that HelpMum has received over $2 million in grant funding since it began.

Strengthening Child Survival Across Africa

HelpMum Africa’s place in the Child Survival Portfolio shows a wider move toward supporting local health innovations that tackle big healthcare challenges. It also highlights how artificial intelligence is playing a bigger role in improving immunisation programs, healthcare access, and support for frontline healthcare workers across Africa.

By working with 17 other organisations in the portfolio, HelpMum Africa will help make sure more children get vital vaccines, nutrition, and quality healthcare during this important time for global child health.

About HelpMum Africa

HelpMum Africa is a Nigerian health technology and social impact organisation focused on reducing maternal, newborn, and child deaths through digital innovation, artificial intelligence, community engagement, and proven healthcare solutions.

Founded in 2017, the organisation creates and uses scalable technologies to improve immunisation coverage, maternal health, nutrition services, and healthcare access in underserved communities across Africa.

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First published on Carecode Digital Health Hub.