Through support by BFW-Germany, CHAK has continued to provide capacity building in MNCH for its Member Health Units (MHUs).

This includes trainings, mentorship and support supervision to ensure the CHAK MHUs deliver quality, accessible and sustainable services to their communities in line with Universal health Coverage goals.

Some of the areas covered in this capacity building are Focused Antenatal Care (FANC), Basic Emergency Obstetric and New-born Care (BEMONC), Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI), Family Planning training, including Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC). The FP training is offered to both health care workers and Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) as appropriate.  

Achievements of the BFW MNCH programme in 2020

• The Binti Shujaa model which CHAK innovated helped in reaching pregnant youth and adolescents to access ANC early for better outcomes. A total of 519 CHVs were sensitized on MNH and offering community services in the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Screening of Women of Reproductive Age (WRA) continued in all CHAK MHU service delivery points to ensure those with a history of amenorrhoea were referred for a pregnancy test and linked to ANC using the pregnancy intention tool.
• At total of 80,840 mothers completed 4+ ANC visits in CHAK MHUs.
• At total of 92,977 mothers had skilled births in CHAK MHUs.
• FANC training aimed at equipping health care workers to support mothers and their babies through targeted assessments of pregnancy was carried out. The aim of the training was to facilitate:

1. Identification and treatment of already established disease
2. Early detection of complications and other potential problems that can affect the outcomes of pregnancy
3. Prophylaxis and treatment for anaemia, malaria, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV, urinary tract infections, tetanus and tuberculosis.

• A total of 277 CHVs from CHAK MHUs were mentored on information dissemination with regard to safe motherhood, access to skilled births and neonatal care. The CHVs were sensitised to encourage mothers in the community to start early ANC during the first trimester in order to increase the uptake of 4+ ANC visits.
• A total of 189 pregnant adolescents were identified by CHVs in the communities and referred to health facilities for ANC.
• The number of mothers completing first ANC visits were 115,668 while 4+ ANC visits were completed by 58,012 women. In ANC, mothers were given health education on proper nutrition, hygiene, individualized birth plans and danger signs. The CHAK MHUs had essential commodities such as IFAS, SP and Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLITNs) to prevent malaria. The facilities also had vaccines such as tetanus and the cold chain was maintained.
• In order to build capacity for Health Care Workers (HCWs), CHAK MHUs continued to offer CMEs, mentorships and On-Job Training (OJT), reaching 973 HCWs. Areas of focus were Respectful Maternal Care, Antepartum haemorrhage (APH), Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), prevention and management of ruptured uterus, new-born resuscitation, assisted vaginal delivery, correct use of the partograph and HIV testing in maternity.
• Further, CHAK mentored and trained a total of 965 Health Care Providers (HCPs) as follows: 21 HCPs trained in BeMONC; 578 HCPs mentored on respectful maternal care, APH, PPH, new-born resuscitation and assisted vaginal delivery; 210 HCWs mentored on kangaroo mother care with the aim of reducing neonatal deaths; 156 HCWs reached with CMEs on management of PPH, eclampsia, pre-eclampsia and use of partograph in management of labour.
• Mentorship of HCWs was conducted in 96 MHUs on initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of delivery, exclusive breast feeding, danger signs for mothers and infants within 48 hours and beyond. A total of 528 HCWs were mentored.
• A total of 78,101 women attended Post-Natal Care in CHAK MHUs.
• 340 MHUs were supported to scale up immunization through facility and community interventions. A total of 53,971 children were fully immunized in CHAK MHUs in the year and 80 children who had defaulted were traced and immunized.
• Support supervision was done in 68 MHUs in partnership with county and sub-county CHMTs.

 Family planning

On-job training for 78 HCPs (nurses and clinical officers) on LARC was carried out in 38 health facilities. A total of 35 CHVs/Community Based Distributors (CBDs) were trained to offer community-based FP services, helping reach clients in hard-to-reach areas. A total of 1,195,651 clients were offered a family planning method while 60 Religious Leaders (RLs) were trained on community family planning for information sharing and referral of clients for FP.