Kenya

While initial assumptions by officials were that there were not that many deaths, our census-based data showed that mothers were dying at rates 3 times the national average. Since our project began, we have reduced maternal death by over 70%, saving the lives of mothers.

Project Goals: reduce the deaths of moms during pregnancy and delivery by 50%; reduce deaths of neonates (babies in their first 28 days) by 35%; reduce long-term extreme malnutrition by 50%.

Many maternal deaths in Kisii are caused by a lack of knowledge of emergency response and giving birth without a medical professional. Working in close partnership with the Kisii County Ministry of Health our partners identified three existing government clinics accessible to the population, but which were grossly underutilized due to stockouts, lack of infrastructure and lack of 24/7 culturally sensitive services.

Utilizing our Community Birthing Center (CBC) Manual and its Rapid CBC Assessment Tool, we have partnered with the communities and the government to adopt these clinics to the CBC model, adding nursing staff to enable 24/7 services, creating woman-friendly birthing spaces to the communities' specifications, and installing battery-backed solar panels to ensure 24/7 electricity.