The Ministry of Health and partners have renewed efforts to reduce maternal, newborn and child morbidity and mortality in four counties.
This is after the USAID - Unicef supported Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition Equity Programme (RMNCAHN) was launched on Wednesday.
The programme will be implemented in Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Isiolo counties over a period of three years, from October 2023 to September 2026.
The programme seeks to focus on the improvement of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition.
The RMNCAHN Equity programme aims to support the four counties by ensuring that more women, newborns, infants, children and adolescents have better access to and increased uptake of high-quality reproductive services.
“This is expected to result in more women, newborns, children and adolescents surviving, thriving and living in a safe, equitable and resilient environment while being protected from violence and harmful practices,” Unicef Kenya Representative Shaheen Nilofer said.
Some of the areas it seeks to cover include water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in health facilities, child health including immunisation, primary health care, community health and health financing.
Others include health management information system strengthening, nutrition, gender based violence prevention, Gender empowerment, social and behavioral change and community engagement and resilience building.
According to USAID Health Office Director John Kuehnle, Last year’s Kenya Demographic Health Survey revealed both progress and disparities in maternal child health issues.
Kuehnle noted that while strides have been made in reducing child and maternal mortality nationwide, a stark reality persists.
The North-Eastern Arid and Semi-Arid counties, particularly Garissa, Mandera, Isiolo, and Wajir, are lagging behind with data showing that 23 per cent of children in Garissa are fully immunised within the first year of life compared to the national average of 80 per cent.
“We want to ensure that everyone knows how to access important prenatal services, where to find a safe place to give birth, and that health facilities are clean and secure,” he said.
“This support also includes making sure children under 5 not only get the kind of quality nutrition they need to grow up healthy but also have access to essential services like clean drinking water and social protection,” he added.
A first step along this path is ensuring that people have access to quality information and services for family planning and reproductive health.