Signing of Collaboration Agreement in the Third Phase of the "Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project"
- App Development for Diarrhea Prevention in Tanzania -

OSAKA, Japan, December 22, 2023 - Shionogi & Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Osaka, Japan; Chief Executive Officer: Isao Teshirogi, Ph.D.; hereafter "Shionogi") announced that, the signing of a contract with African Mothers Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo, Japan; Chief Executive Officer: Yasuo Kawabata; hereafter "African Mothers") and Associate Professor Hidenori Harada (Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University) for the development of a water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) education solution aimed at preventing diarrhea in the United Republic of Tanzania (hereinafter referred to as "Tanzania"), as part of the third phase of the Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project (hereafter “this project”), an initiative dedicated to maternal and child support activities in Africa.

This project which has worked to maternal and child health in Africa since 2015^1-3 , is continuing its efforts in the third phase of the project⁴, which began in June 2023. This phase focuses on improving healthcare access in Kenya and Ghana, as well as reducing diarrhea among children. 

Diarrhea disease is the fourth leading cause of death among children under five years of age in the world, following pneumonia, preterm birth complications, and birth asphyxia/birth trauma. It has a significant impact on the health of children in Africa, including Tanzania⁵. The occurrence of diarrhea in children can be attributed to multiple factors, such as knowledge of disease and hygiene among mothers, as well as variations in the initiation of breastfeeding⁶. Therefore, we have initiated an app development project for diarrhea prevention in Tanzania, where the penetration of smartphone has been increasing^7,8. We will verify its effectiveness and consider expanding the project to other countries and regions in Africa.

Shionogi has identified “Improve access to healthcare” as one of the materiality (material issues) to be addressed. We are working to contribute to improving access to AMR treatment and supporting maternal and child health in Africa toward the realization of a sustainable society while further enhancing collaboration with international partners and other activities. Shionogi, with its commitment to improving global health, will leverage the insights and network gained through this project. We will collaborate with various partners to address the pressing issues related to maternal and child health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Our focus will be on enhancing healthcare access, improving sanitary environment and preventing childhood diarrhea. Through these efforts, Shionogi aims to contribute to the realization of Universal Health Coverage in Africa.

■   About Our Partners

African Mothers

African Mothers Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of Castalia Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo, Japan; Chief Executive Officer:  Satoshi Yamawaki), specializing in digital maternal and child health business in Africa. African Mothers has appointed Yoko Shimpuku, an external director and professor at the Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Hiroshima University, and are developing and expanding the smartphone app "Taarifa Za Mama" (meaning "Mother's Record" in Swahili) in Tanzania. For more details, please visit https://africanmothers.net.

Associate Professor Hidenori Harada

Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University

Based on his background in environmental sanitary engineering, he has studied about water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), which is essential to human life, from the perspectives of health risks, material cycle, and sustainability of WASH in Asia and Africa. He is a member of the Strategic Advisory Group of the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP), which is the custodian of global data on WASH for monitoring the progress of SDGs Goal 6 (Clean water and sanitation) , please visit https://sites.google.com/kyoto-u.ac.jp/harada/en.

Reference：

1.        Press Release on August. 3, 2021
Shionogi Completes the First Term of the Mother to Mother Project in llaramatak, Narok County, Kenya with Transfer of a Health Facility to the County Government

2.        Press Release on March. 16, 2022
Shionogi Announces the Results of Comprehensive Maternal and Child Health Support Activities undertaken in Kenya under the “Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project”
—Health of Maasai Mothers and Children has Improved—

3.        Press Release on April. 1, 2020
A New Maternal and Child Healthcare Program Kicks Off in Kilifi County, Kenya The Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project Enters Its Second Phase with the Aim of Improving Health Access

4.        Press Release on June. 1,2023
Launch of the Third Phase for the Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project New Activities to Support Maternal and Child Health in Kenya and Ghana

5.        Diarrheal Diseases - Our World in Data

6.        Diarrhea and associated factors among under five children in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from demographic and health surveys of 34 sub-Saharan countries

7.        Mobile subscription penetration Tanzania 2000-2022 | Statista

8.        Start.io | Smartphone Users in Tanzania Audience

For Further Information, Contact:

SHIONOGI Website Inquiry Form : https://www.shionogi.com/global/en/contact.html