Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in Kenya

COUNTRY BACKGROUND:

Total population (2012):
43,178,000

Probability of dying under five years, per 1,000 live births (2012): 73

Maternal Mortality Ratio, per 100,000 live births (2011):
360

OVERVIEW:

The Kenya Red Cross and the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED), funded by the Canadian Red Cross and the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development is implementing a project for improving maternal, newborn and child survival in Central Pokot district, West Pokot county, Kenya.

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Activities

The Kenya Red Cross and ACTED are working with communities and relevant Ministries to:

  • Scale-up delivery of basic health services to poor people living in hard-to-access rural communities.
  • Train Community Health Workers to assess, treat and refer children, ensuring key village-level health services.
  • Provide Community Health Workers with pharmaceutical kits to increase village-level access to life-saving medications.
  • Deliver proven, high-impact, cost-effective interventions for critical childhood illnesses: malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia with focus on improving health-seeking behaviors.
  • Augment preventative and care-seeking behaviours among the targeted population.
  • Train Community Health Workers to conduct behaviour-change communication and health education, promoting key MNCH messages on malaria, diarrhoea, pneumonia, neonatal and maternal care.
  • Train Community Health Workers in Community Based Health and First Aid (CBHFA).
  • Establish/reinforce community structures to ensure accountability and sustainability.
  • Train Ministry of Health (MoH) staff to supervise Community Health Workers and ensure proper stock management.
  • Increase ability of communities, men and women, to mitigate risk.
  • Increase livelihood diversification for men and women.

Expected Results

Through the implementation of the project, it is expected that:

  • Maternal, newborn and child morbidity and mortality is reduced.
  • MoH-Community linkages are strengthened.
  • Community Health Committees and Community Health Workers are reinforced to ensure and support accountability and sustainability.
  • KRCS role in supporting the Ministry of Health to deliver community-level MNCH services is improved.
  • Communities increase their capacity to mitigate risks and diversify their livelihoods, with a focus on ensuring gender equity throughout the project.
The financial support of Canadians for MNCH programming is critical. Help us save lives today