Seven counties in Lake Victoria region are set to benefit from stakeholders engagement to ensure children have a healthy start in life for the first 1,000 days after birth.
On Tuesday, Lake Region Economic Bloc launched the Smart Life Initiative in Migori county which will also be extended to Busia, Homa Bay, Vihiga, Kisumu, Nyamira and Kakamega counties.
The project was already launched in Siaya county.
“We have taken up this initiative in the region because data shows that we are lagging behind nationally on health of newborn and we need to catch up,” Martin Sikolia, Director Administration of Lreb said.
He said the early part of a child’s life matters making the first 1,000 days very important to ensure a healthy life that will impact on education and ending poverty through secured socio-economic status as an adult.
He was speaking in Migori town accompanied my Migori deputy governor Mahiri Gimunta and governor wives Agnes Ayacko (Migori), Betty Orengo(Siaya) and Dorothy Nyong’o (Kisumu).
“We started off in Siaya and have passed the ball to Migori because this project brings major stakeholders and departments in county to work together and ensure children born have a better start in life,” Betty said.
The group said the initiative will prioritise child development through leadership, financing, and community awareness since in the area, 43 per cent of children under five years of age are at risk of poverty, poor health, poor nutrition, and other adversities.
World Health Organization states that in Kenya, 59 per cent of children under five years of age are at risk of poor development based on a composite indicator of stunting, extreme poverty, or both.
Agnes said in Migori, departments dealing with health, agriculture, education and environment will work with stakeholders to ensure the project is a success.
“We have personnel in the county which will be essential in the project because we are working hard to reverse the trends on malnutrition and access to health services in Migori,” she said.
In Migori, the project seeks to reverse high infant mortality rates that stands at 76 per 1,000 births while deaths of children under five is at 123 for 1,000 live births.
Only 52.4 per cent of children born in Migori have their births registered while 48.8 per cent of children between 5-17 years are involved in child labour with 23 per cent of pregnant women being adolescents and only 58.5 per cent of pregnant mothers having at least four antenatal clinic visits.
“Once we reverse these figures, we will help children not to perform poorly in schools and have low incomes in life which has been proved by research,” Monica Ogutu, the CEO Kmet an implementing partner said.
She said they will help delay teen pregnancies, ensure timely ante-natal clinic visits and giving births in hospitals instead of at home through traditional birth attendants.