Kenya has made notable progress in improving maternal and child health outcomes. However, despite the progress, Kenya could not achieve the Millennium Development Goals for maternal and child health.
It is clear that a lot more still needs to be done by Kenya to address the supply and demand side barriers in the delivery of essential health services in order to realize the goals of Vision 2030 and the 2010 Constitution. The Bill of Rights clearly articulates the right to health for all, including reproductive health.
There have been notable improvements in service delivery during the past three years in Kenya. The county governments have given priority attention to expanding primary health care networks and enhancing effectiveness in service delivery.
Access to emergency obstetric care has improved in counties that faced long-standing challenges in making facilities operational. However, more focused effort is required to eliminate preventable maternal and child deaths and improve health outcomes.
Capacity building of MHUs in MNCH
In 2016, CHAK with support from Bread for the World in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (DRH) and Micronutrient Initiative organized training for health care workers on the Essential Newborn Care and Basic Essential lifesaving skills for MNH/Basic and Comprehensive emergency Obstetric care (BEmOC/CEmOC).
Broad objective of the training
The main aim of the essential newborn care (ENB) and BEmOC&CEmOC training was to equip the service providers with updated knowledge, skills and appropriate attitudinal concepts to enable them improve quality in provision of maternal and neonatal emergency care in their health facilities. A total of 29 participants drawn from 29 MHUs were trained on BEmOC&CEmOC while 122 were trained in ENB care.
Lessons learned
Suggestions for improvement of MNH care