Kenya is set to benefit from a £5.83M (Ksh 970.7M) funding from the United Kingdom (UK) under a new Maternal and Newborn Health Program.
UK Deputy Foreign Secretary and Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell announced the program which is set to benefit expectant mothers and newborns from Kenya and other countries.
Mitchell announced the funding in New York on Monday April 29 during the 57th Session of the Commission on Population and Development.
The £5.83 million investment will focus on the most marginalized women, strengthen capacity of local midwifery and support governments to create emergency transport systems for pregnant women.
“Sexual and reproductive health and rights are not just about individual well-being, it’s about building stronger, healthier communities. Together, we are building a brighter future where every mother and child has the chance to thrive,” said Mitchell.
In addition, the investment aims at lowering maternal mortality by strengthening grassroots organizations.
The UK government made the announcement during the session attended by international organizations led by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which called for renewed commitment towards progress on eradicating preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
Kenya to benefit from program
The UK Deputy foreign minister in a statement said that the government in partnership with Vodafone will set up an emergency transport system in Kenya dubbed the m-mama.
According to him, the system aims at using mobile technology to connect pregnant women to care during pregnancy and childbirth.
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“It will also support Vodafone Foundation to set up an m-mama emergency transport system in Kenya by using mobile technology to connect pregnant women to care when they need it during pregnancy and childbirth.
The program follows other investments channeled to the supporting maternal health through our core funding and supplies program,” reads part of the statement.
Stats on Mothers and Newborns
According to UNFPA, every 2 minutes a woman dies from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth in the world.
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Additionally, it is estimated that for every death, 20 to 30 women and girls suffer severe maternal morbidity due to shortage of well-trained midwives.
“Global progress in reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths has flatlined. Every two minutes, a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth. We urgently need scaled-up action and investment to deliver on every woman’s fundamental right to safe motherhood,” said UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Natalia Kanem.
Also in the session, UNFPA and the Governments of other countries including Tanzania and Ethiopia celebrated national successes in improving maternal health outcomes.
Calls for More Funding
The UNFPA on its part called for $210 million (Ksh 27.8 billion) by 2028 for its Maternal and Newborn Health Thematic Fund.
According to the organization, the funds will catalyze national and global investments for high impact practices, expanded partnerships and empowered communities.
This will in turn reduce global maternal mortality and ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health care services.
According to UNFPA, it is estimated that $115.5 billion (Ksh 15.3 trillion) is needed to end preventable maternal deaths in 120 priority countries by 2030.
“Over the past two decades, significant strides have been made in improving maternal and newborn health worldwide, evidenced by a 34% decline in maternal mortality,” states UNFPA.
The population fund organization states that the $115.5 billion investment would also have the added effect of reducing newborn deaths by 33 per cent and still births by 57 per cent.
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