Kenya: First Lady Launches Grand Health Campaign

By George Okore

NAIROBI---Kenyan First Lady Margaret Gakuo Kenyatta has launched series of activities to galvanize support and raise awareness on maternal and child health challenges.

The Beyond Zero Campaign ( 2013-2017) aims to reduce  the annual 5,500 deaths from pregnancy related complications, fight new HIV/AIDS infections and increase access to maternal and child health services. The drive which aims to reach the disadvantaged groups countrywide by mobilizing resources to improve healthcare, will raise awareness on preventive health activities like early screening for diseases, participation in athletics and sports activities.

“I am deeply saddened   that women and children in our country die from causes that can be avoided. The number of preventable deaths among children is alarming. In 2012 alone, over 10, 000 infants died in Kenya- majority not making it to their first birthday,’ she said at the recent launch.

To further support the cause, the First Lady  will participate in this year's London Marathon slated for April 13 to create global awareness on health challenges facing Kenya especially women and children. Here, she will raise visibility on the issues and mobilize resources to accelerate access to health services to promote overall maternal, newborn and children’s health.

As precursor to the event, the inaugural First Lady’s Half Marathon on March 9 in Nairobi will raise awareness and galvanize local support towards the project. The two marathons will raise funds to improve access to HIV, maternal, newborn and children’s health through provision of mobile clinics, incubators, kits for early infants diagnosis, oxygen concentrators and solar panels for all the 47 counties in Kenya.

Cabinet Secretary for Health James Macharia said everyone has fundamental right to the highest attainable standards of health for social, economic and political development. Unfortunately, he regrets that daily, 15 mothers bad over 290 children below five years die largely from childhood preventable diseases, pregnancy, birth complications and HIV /Aids related conditions. 

 “We must translate our pledges into action and results while holding each other accountable. Therefore development partners should join these collective efforts to stop mothers and children from dying form preventable diseases,” said Mr. Macharia.

In 2012, there were 13,000 new HIV infections among children, of whom 62% did not access life-saving antiretroviral drugs.  However, PEPFAR Country Coordinator Kathrine Perry says it is possible to sharply reduce the number of deaths among children and women through high quality, low cost interventions. The coverage of these interventions remains low across the country. Currently in Kenya, 15% of deaths among children under five years are because of HIV related complications. Other leading causes of death among children under the age of five are pneumonia, preterm birth complications, birth asphyxia, diarrhea and malaria.

The Beyond Zero Campaign will also mobilize and provide leadership towards ending new HIV infections reducing deaths among women and children in Kenya. This will focus on five key areas including accelerating HIV and AIDS programmes and influencing investments in high impact interventions to promote maternal and child health and HIV control. Other strategies include mobilizing men agents of change and  involving communities to address barriers to accessing HIV, maternal and child health services. It will also provide leadership accountability and recognition to accelerate the attainment of HIV, Maternal and Child health targets.

Notably, Kenya has invested in evidence based, cost effective interventions for maternal and neonatal health. However , implementation and coverage is still a challenge , with many patients dying from bleeding while giving birth, disorders caused by high blood pressure , infections in pregnancy  and complications from abortion. The country health delivery also suffers from weak systems, financial challenges and poor quality healthcare. This is exacerbated by high population growth, high poverty levels, gender disparities and inequalities in several poor regions of the county.

The Global Plan Secretariat Representative Dr Nicholas Muraguri says project is godsend since it will promote child survival by improving environmental (living) conditions, and adequate antenatal and postnatal care. Accordingly, Dr Nicholas Muraguri says Beyond Zero Campaign will improve overall health targets by confronting leading causes of death and disabilities.

UNAIDS country coordinator Maya Haper said the initiative will turn the tide on HIV, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in Kenya and praised on-going efforts by Kenya government and other partners to increase access to life saving high impact interventions to promote the survival of mothers and children.