Beyond Zero Achievements and Why the Critics Have it All Wrong

Nations across the globe, in the post-2015 development agenda, committed to universal health coverage (UHC) and achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3 – in a bid to ensure that all people at all ages lead healthy lives.

What this means is that regardless of where you are, or who you are, you should have basic health services regardless of geographical location or economic status. And in Kenya, the government has committed to ensuring that the goal, the constitutional requirements for strategy are met.

However, there is a big fuss about the health sector in Kenya. While others claim the UHC plan is over-ambitious, there are those hellbent on the First Lady, Margaret Kenyatta’s Beyond Zero initiative.

Beyond Zero campaign, or BZ was launched for a good cause. It was and is meant to save the lives of mothers and children in Kenya. The initiative complements national efforts by accelerating policy and program implementation and further, by influencing investments for strategic, high impact interventions towards zero new HIV infections and zero maternal and child deaths.

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The shortsightedness that the critics fussing about Beyond Zero initiative fail to see is that Kenya has a high rate of maternal deaths.

In 2018, the First Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths in Kenya showed that of the 484 maternal deaths assessed, 447 (92 percent) received poor care. The report also showed that 394, representing 81 percent of the total deaths, received substandard care where different care management could have resulted in a better outcome.

Seeing that it is possible to accelerate the decline of maternal death in Kenya, BZ took upon the task of reducing maternal mortality even further. The initiative aligns itself with the targets set under Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to bring the deaths to less than 70 per 100 000 births, with no country having a maternal mortality rate of more than twice the global average.

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Through the powers of the First Lady, Beyond Zero seeks to mobilize partners to spearhead greater community and household sensitization on adoption of preventive health practices and behaviors.

Its other aim is to support existing health and community systems as well as catalyze innovation and accelerated action by stakeholders and political leaders to ensure that all Kenyans adopt a healthy lifestyle.

For those who are not updated on the initiative, since its inception in 2014, Beyond Zero, has offered door to door health services through fifty-two fully kitted mobile clinics and promoted health education across all counties.

It also continues to build on existing health programs such as immunization against early childhood diseases, distribution of insecticide-treated nets, and exclusive breastfeeding.

As a country, we know that an investment in a strong primary healthcare (PHC) system is necessary for improved healthcare across the counties; and Beyond Zero is one of the facilitators.

In summary, it serves:

• Promote access to quality maternal and neonatal health care services
• Advocate for repair and reintegration of women living with obstetric fistula
• Champion the elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV and syphilis by 2021
• Promotion of good nutrition for all children
• Advocate for social inclusion of children living with disability for equal access to health and education services
• Mobilize partnerships to deliver adolescent and young people health programs
• Influence investments for decentralized services for breast and cervical cancer prevention, treatment and management
• Mobilize for the engagement of men in HIV and reproductive health
• Advocate for access to comprehensive health care and social protection

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Unlike other government projects that have been termed over-ambitious, Beyond Zero through the First Lady has achieved a lot since its inception.

Beyond Zero has donated 47 fully kitted mobile clinics to county governments to strengthen the existing outreach programs and referral systems.  Through these clinics, Beyond Zero has partly solved the issue of access to health care services for hard to reach areas across the country.

Consequently, it has increased service provision through the clinics and has provided close to 500,000 integrated services including antenatal and postnatal services; HIV testing, treatment and care; immunization, basic treatment for common ailments, reproductive health cancers screening and treatment (where applicable). Immunization of children is also in demand in the Beyond Zero mobile clinics.

It has also expanded beyond the Kenyan borders in a clear demonstration of the potential of a leadership model for promoting community empowerment for preventative and curative healthcare.  This model has attracted interest beyond Kenya’s borders and increased donations of health care equipment for facilities in Kenya.

Beyond Zero has been featured in forums such as TICAD VI; the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS; Stop Cervical, Breast & Prostate Cancer in Africa; World Assembly for Women; SD Philanthropy Platform among others.

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Moreover, through Beyond Zero marathons, the profile of maternal and child health challenges in Kenya have been raised. The marathon has brought together people from all walks of life who identify with a course whilst exercising for fun.

The active citizen participation has grown over the three editions of the First Lady’s Half Marathon and has raised nearly 600 million shillings including in-kind donations.

In 2016, the First Lady’s Half Marathon saw the inclusion of a new category for people and/or children with special abilities, showing just how committed the BZ secretariat is to ensuring everyone receives health care.

Here are the results of the initiative so far:

• Kenya doubled the number of women delivering in health facility from 600,000 in 2014 to close to 2 million in 2016, while the number of maternal deaths reported reduced from 6000 to 4000 deaths.
• The number of new HIV infections among children dropped by half between 2013 and 2015 from 12,826 to 6,613.
• The mother to child transmission rates dropped from 16% to 3% between 2013 and 2015.
• Access to Pediatric treatment increased from 32% to 76% % between 2013 and 2015.

The efforts might not seem much for others, but Beyond Zero and the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta exemplify what everyone should emulate for universal healthcare for all. She chose a noble cause to run, for an effort to ensure maternal health in the country is better.

Any effort to improve the health of Kenyans across the counties is welcome, and while the government is fighting corruption, we should choose the less traveled road of actually doing something that matters, and join the First Lady and Beyond Zero initiative.