Expectant mothers in Navakholo, Kakamega County, will get a modern 83-bed maternal and newborn unit within 36 weeks after ground was broken on Thursday at Navakholo Sub-County Hospital, marking the launch of the M-Pesa Foundation's Uzazi Salama programme in the county.

Governor Fernandes Barasa presided over the groundbreaking alongside M-Pesa Foundation trustee Patricia Ithau. The foundation puts the cost at Sh80 million, while the county government's statement gives a figure of Sh85 million.

What the unit will offer

The facility is meant to ease pressure on maternity services in the sub-county and cut the distance mothers travel for specialised care. Plans include:

  • Antenatal and postnatal wards
  • A neonatal unit for sick and premature babies
  • A maternity theatre
  • A kangaroo mother care centre, where mothers keep low-birth-weight babies warm through skin-to-skin contact

"This is a significant milestone as we launch the Uzazi Salama programme, which is built on the belief that every mother and every child deserves to live and thrive," Ms Ithau said.

She said the foundation's investment in buildings was meant to improve access and outcomes for communities in the county and the wider region. "We want to bring healthcare services to the standard that every mother and every woman across Kenya deserves, regardless of where they live," she added.

Tackling the three delays

The three-year programme in Kakamega will be run with the county government, Amref Health Africa, health workers and community health promoters. Beyond the building, it aims to encourage families to seek care early, improve referrals between facilities and strengthen services in hospitals and villages.

Its design targets the so-called three delays that health experts link to many maternal and newborn deaths: the delay in deciding to seek care, the delay in reaching a health facility, and the delay in getting the right treatment once there.

Uzazi Salama, Kiswahili for safe delivery, started in Samburu and has since been rolled out in Homa Bay, Baringo, Lamu, Kilifi, Narok and Nakuru. Kitui and Kiambu are expected to join next.

Part of a wider county push

The county says the Navakholo wing builds on 11 other maternity facilities put up by the Barasa administration over the past four years. Governor Barasa said the county would keep pursuing partnerships to strengthen health infrastructure and improve care for mothers and newborns.

County Health executive Dr Livingstone Imbayi, Amref's Dr Meshack Ndirangu and Ministry of Health representative Dr Edward Serem were among officials at the event.

Photos: The Star (handout); TV47 Digital. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.