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KENYA: Partnership for Maternal and Neonatal Heatlh

A mother and her baby, clients in
DOW's MNH Program
Maternal and neonatal health care is one the most urgent health needs in the West Pokot District of Kenya. Before implementation of our program, none of the health facilities in the region could provide the full range of antenatal and obstetric services to pregnant women and newborns, as recommended in Kenyan health policy. Most women continue to give birth in their homes and cannot access timely medical care in case of an emergency; one-third of infant deaths occur during the first month of life. Over 95% of women in West Pokot have undergone female genital mutilation, making them even more vulnerable during pregnancy and childbirth. 
 
DOW’s Partnership for Maternal and Neonatal Health program, initiated in West Pokot in 2006, offers a tremendous opportunity to reduce the very high number of maternal and newborn deaths by building the capacity of local health providers, educating communities about essential care, and making health services more accessible to and appropriate for community women and their infants. Integration of HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention and treatment is also a key component of the Partnership’s approach to successfully reducing maternal and newborn health problems.   
 
Training Health Providers and Expanding Community Access
DOW’s program trains staff from the district’s public health services to provide antenatal care, emergency obstetric services, safe delivery, and newborn care. Mobile outreach clinics fanning out from two health centers will soon reach women and babies in their communities with services that can be provided outside the health facilities, such as newborn check-ups.
 
Increasing Community Awareness
Making equipped health facilities and trained staff available does not ensure people’s access to care.  Communities who have not previously had access to health services also need to be informed of when and how to use them. DOW trains community members to become health educators who encourage pregnant women and new mothers to seek health care and information. These partnerships strengthen the connection between communities and health facilities, fulfilling women’s rights to information and access to basic health care.
 
Improving Information Systems
As one of Kenya’s poorest regions, the West Pokot District lacks the infrastructure to track key maternal and newborn health statistics in the communities, which are a key component to successfully advocate for government and international resources. DOW’s maternal and neonatal health program includes plans to strengthen the district’s capacity to quantify its needs through improving health information systems. Accurate data on community births and deaths will help secure human and material resources, further strengthening health services in the region.
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OTHER PROJECTS IN KENYA:

HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment and Care 

Tuberculosis Control