Dr. Véronique Thouvenot

Digital Power for Maternal Health

What does modern female leadership look like in the 21st century? It looks like connectivity, compassion, and data-powered change—and it looks a lot like
Dr. Véronique Thouvenot.

Why She Matters

Dr. Véronique Thouvenot represents a new kind of global leadership—rooted not in political power or celebrity, but in service, innovation, and digital justice. She is transforming how the world addresses maternal mortality by harnessing technology to reach the most vulnerable. Her initiative, Zero Mothers Die, doesn’t just save lives—it redefines how care, connection, and compassion can be delivered across borders and barriers.

In a world where digital tools can widen the gap between privilege and poverty, Dr. Thouvenot proves they can also close it. She belongs in this project because she reminds us that leadership can look like a mobile phone in a mother’s hand, a message in a local language, or a heartbeat saved by information. She is changing the story of maternal health—and with it, the future of what female leadership looks like.

Her Words, Her Vision

“Digital health can and must reduce the gap of inequity in maternal care.”

“We cannot solve maternal mortality with technology alone—but we cannot solve it without it either.”

“Zero should be the only number when it comes to preventable maternal deaths.”

Dr. Thouvenot’s most impactful initiative, Zero Mothers Die, uses mobile phones, telehealth, and digital education to fight maternal mortality in countries like Ghana, Zambia, and Nigeria.

📶 Phones for expectant mothers
🧕🏾 Health messaging in local languages
🩺 Support for frontline health workers
🤝 Partnership with NGOs, tech companies, and governments

The Three Delays
This program tackles:

Delay in seeking care
Delay in reaching care
Delay in receiving quality care

The Zero Mothers Die campaign, launched at the Global Sustainable Development Foundation meeting at the United Nations on Monday, aims to improve the lives of pregnant women by giving them access to vital health care information through mobile phones they have dubbed 'Mum's Phone.'

About 300,000 women die every year from complications related to childbirth, roughly 800 a day, according to the campaign.

The cell phone, branded pink, will be targeted at women who live in isolated areas without ready access to health professionals. The device will come preloaded with free minutes and emergency contacts for women to call, as well as health information about pregnancy warning signs, HIV treatment, and caring for an infant after birth. (Pictured Right)