Safaricom To Improve Newborn And Child Health Services In Kilifi

Kilifi County Hospital has officially opened a newborn unit worth over KES 54 million which was built and equipped through a partnership between Safaricom Foundation and the County Government.

Through the new facility, the county aims to reduce infant mortality rates, encourage skilled newborn care and decrease neonatal complications.

“We strongly believe that accomplishing the important mission of affordable and quality healthcare for all requires robust collaboration between the government and private sector. I would like to thank our partners, the County Government of Kilifi for their support and commitment as we work together to deliver our objectives of improving the lives of mothers and children in this County”, said Joseph Ogutu, Safaricom Foundation Chairman.

The renovated unit, which was officially opened by Kilifi County Governor, Jeffah Kingi, and Safaricom Foundation Trustees Rita Okuthe and Petra Migisi will cater for at least twenty newborns at any one time, an improvement from five newborns. The donated equipment includes incubators, beds, baby cots, resuscitates, furniture, and syringe pumps among others.

The Safaricom Foundation contributed KES 15 million while Kilifi County committed close to KES 40 million towards the project. The Foundation has also previously funded the equipping of Kilifi County Hospital Maternity theatre at a cost of over KES 5 million.

The initiative is part of the Foundation’s KES 132 million maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) program which includes over KES 30 million for the construction and equipping of maternal and newborn facilities in Lamu and Mombasa. A further KES 82 million has been set aside for Baringo County.

The Kenya Demographic Health Survey shows that the Country loses 362 mothers for every 100,000 and 31 infants for every 1,000 live births.