Awêkind
A culturally inclusive postnatal education app for Black and South Asian parents
In the UK, Black and South Asian parents are twice as likely to experience neonatal loss, and postnatal care remains one of the most criticized aspects of maternity services. The lack of culturally relevant postnatal education has been linked to increased stress, anxiety, and postnatal depression in parents, along with poorer health outcomes for babies. Addressing these disparities is an urgent priority under the NHS Core20PLUS5 agenda and the Saving Babies’ Lives initiative.
As a paediatrician and a mother, Dr. Aiesha Alexander saw firsthand the gaps in postnatal education for Black and Brown families. She developed Awêkind using Cogniss as part of Cohort 1 of the Health Innovation East Digital Hub, creating an accessible, culturally responsive resource for parents navigating the postnatal period.
Key Features
Comprehensive, evidence-based health guidance to improve early intervention and care outcomes
Culturally inclusive postnatal education tailored to Black and Brown parents
Step-by-step newborn care guidance including feeding, skincare, and sleep
Emotional well-being check-ins to support both parents and babies
Cogniss provided a flexible, no-code platform that could support interactive content, structured learning journeys, and personalized support for parents. The platform enabled Aiesha to build a clinically informed, user-friendly app without the need for extensive development resources.
Aiesha is now preparing for piloting and wider adoption of Awêkind within NHS maternity and postnatal care services across the UK.
Want to develop a patient-facing app of your own?
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