AI for Social Impact Initiative recognizes HelpMum’s WhatsApp based maternal and child health platform, with formal presentation set for September in Linz, Austria
HelpMum, the Nigerian healthtech organization building AI driven tools for maternal and child health, has been named a Grand Prize winner for AI for Social Impact at Prix Ars Electronica 2026, an honor whose parent competition is widely referred to as the “Oscars of digital art.” The award falls under the AI for Social Impact Initiative, a new collaboration between CARE Austria and Ars Electronica, recognizing organizations that use artificial intelligence to expand access to essential health services for underserved communities.
The AI for Social Impact Initiative is a new category launched this year through a collaboration between CARE Austria and Ars Electronica, recognizing artificial intelligence projects that deliver measurable, equitable impact for underserved communities worldwide. HelpMum was honored for its suite of AI powered tools, including MamaBot AI, a pregnancy support chatbot; VaxAI, which supports childhood immunization tracking; and StratifyAI, which helps community health workers identify and prioritize high risk cases. MamaBot AI and VaxAI run on WhatsApp and Turn.io, allowing them to reach rural and low connectivity communities across Nigeria on basic mobile devices.
“Maternal and infant mortality in underserved communities rarely comes from one failure. It comes from gaps that build up over time, a mother with no follow up when warning signs appear, a baby who misses vaccinations because no one was there to remind her. We built HelpMum’s ecosystem of AI innovations to solve that problem. MamaBot AI walks with a woman through her pregnancy and answers her questions when no one else can. VaxAI keeps track of her child’s immunizations so a missed vaccine does not become a missed chance. StratifyAI helps our community health workers see which cases need urgent attention before a small warning sign becomes a crisis. Together, these tools close the gaps, from the moment a woman learns she is pregnant through her child’s early years, without requiring money, a nearby hospital, or even a smartphone beyond the most basic kind.”
— Dr. Abiodun Adereni, CEO, HelpMum
HelpMum will be formally honored at the Prix Ars Electronica Award Ceremony during the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria, taking place September 9 through 13, 2026. The organization plans to send a team to the ceremony to accept the award.
The award comes during a period of significant international recognition for HelpMum, which was also recently named one of 18 global grantees in the 100 million dollar ICONIQ Impact Child Survival Portfolio. HelpMum’s work has been supported by funders including Google, Meta, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, the Sall Family Foundation, Merck, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, among others.
