M-PESA Foundation, in partnership with Amref Health Africa and the County Government of Kilifi, has launched a KES 225 Million programme, called Uzazi Salama, which is set to impact 500,000 people in Kilifi County. The three-year programme aims to improve access to maternal health services. This includes setting up medical infrastructure and building the capacity of health workers to enhance service delivery.
Uzazi Salama is a maternal health programme set to strengthen Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child, and Adolescent health outcomes (RMNCAH) for mothers and children. The programme was launched at Junju Dispensary in Kilifi South Constituency, where the Foundation is set to invest KES 10 million towards the construction and equipping of a maternity unit.
“Health is one of our key pillars at M-PESA Foundation, with a major focus on maternal and child healthcare. Through Uzazi Salama, we have been able to impact the lives of over 350,000 people in Samburu and Homa Bay counties, and we hope to impact even more here in Kilifi. We seek to ensure that mothers and children receive quality healthcare, from prenatal care through the delivery room and into postnatal care,” said Patricia Ithau, Trustee, M-PESA Foundation.
During her address, Anne Gitimu, Family and Reproductive Health Director at Amref Health Africa in Kenya, lauded the Kilifi County government for investing in Maternal and newborn health initiatives and expressed her optimism towards the county’s ambition to achieve zero maternal and neonatal deaths by leveraging on partnerships, innovation, technology and data-driven approaches.
The three-year programme which aims to increase the demand for quality reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services high-impact interventions by the year 2027 will largely focus on strengthening governance and leadership in the county.
Meanwhile, in Kwale County, the M-PESA Foundation broke ground on a KES 32 million maternal newborn and child health complex at Msambweni County Referral Hospital. The newborn unit is expected to improve delivery with a range of services that will reduce infant mortality rates.
