Two out of every three cases of maternal deaths occur in areas affected by a humanitarian crisis or fragile conditions like North-Eastern Kenya where focus is being put to give pregnant mothers a fighting chance to survive child birth.
The region contributes close to six out of every 10 maternal deaths. Low education, low contraceptive use, inimical cultures such as Female Genital Mutilation and child marriage that derail women's self-determination and inadequate health services have kept the region perpetually posting poor health indicators.
For over a year, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has worked with partners UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN Women and UNAIDS to find ways of saving lives at childbirth and meeting related challenges of reproductive health in the six counties bearing the greatest burden of maternal deaths.
The government of Denmark supports UNFPA's programmes globally and in Kenya this support is based on a Denmark-Kenya Country Programme 2016-2020 that seeks to give momentum to Kenya's Vision 2030.
The policy's thematic programme on health specifically identifies operational support for primary health-care facilities at county and national government levels as well as support for sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Thus, Denmark is committed to supporting UNFPA to further their ongoing work in Mandera, Marsabit, Wajir, Isiolo, Lamu and Migori to deliver a comprehensive package of services in reproductive, maternal, new-born, child and adolescent health.
Denmark has pledged $6 million to help the six counties give more focus on adolescent girls and young women, through targeted and evidence-based interventions in multiple sectors. Of key concern will be addressing drivers for early sexual debut among adolescent girls and boys, early childbearing and early marriage, and advocating for keeping girls in schools.
In a demonstration of how collaboration in development work must be done going forward, various private sector partners have joined efforts in the 6 counties.
Though it is the right thing to do, this partnership is not driven by moral positions, but concrete evidence that reducing maternal and new-born deaths is the smartest investment for turning around the fortunes of poor economies.
Our observations show that no complex undertakings are required to make real difference; simple interventions such as ensuring more women give birth through a skilled attendant greatly increase chances of survival for mother and baby.
It is about convincing communities to eschew practices such as FGM and early marriages that invariably rob them of their childhoods, forcing them out of school, trapping them in poverty, and putting them at high risk of dangerous pregnancy and childbirth.
It is about empowering women to plan whether and when to have children. It is also about exploiting local resources, working with structures that local communities are comfortable with. In Wajir County for instance, local community health volunteers have been trained to identify pregnant women within clusters of around 10,000 people, and link them to the health facilities to receive antenatal care services.
The volunteers provide health education to the pregnant mothers on the importance of antenatal care services, the knowledge and importance on how to recognise danger signs during pregnancy, during delivery and post-delivery.
Already, deliveries under skilled care are going up, anchored by the Government's free maternity care scheme.
Global data shows that the highest benefits from reducing unintended pregnancies would accrue to the poorest countries, with GDP increases ranging from one to eight percent by 2035. There are few interventions that would give as wide-reaching impacts.
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"Kuna vifo vya mama katika maeneo yaliyoathiriwa na mgogoro wa kibinadamu au hali mbaya kama vile kaskazini mashariki mwa Kenya, ambapo lengo ni kuwapa mama wajawazito nafasi ya kupambana na kuzaa.""" Mkoa huo unahusika katika karibu vifo sita kati ya kila vifo kumi vya akina mama. Utafiti mdogo, matumizi ya chini ya njia za kuzuia mimba, utamaduni wa uhasama kama vile Uharibifu wa Viungo vya Ujauzito vya Wanawake na ndoa za watoto ambao huzuia uhuru wa wanawake na huduma za afya zisizofaa zimefanya mkoa huo uendelee kuonyesha viashiria duni vya afya. Kwa zaidi ya mwaka mmoja, Shirika la Umoja wa Mataifa la Idadi ya Watu (UNFPA) limekuwa likifanya kazi na washirika UNICEF, WHO, Benki ya Dunia, UN Women na UNAIDS kutafuta njia za kuokoa maisha wakati wa kuzaa na kukabiliana na changamoto zinazohusiana na afya ya uzazi katika kaunti sita zinazochukua mzigo mkubwa wa vifo vya mama. Serikali ya Denmark inasaidia mipango ya UNFPA ulimwenguni kote na nchini Kenya msaada huu unategemea Programu ya Nchi ya Denmark-Kenya 2016-2020 ambayo inatafuta kutoa kasi kwa Maono ya Kenya 2030. Programu ya mandhari ya sera ya afya inabainisha maalum msaada wa uendeshaji kwa vituo vya huduma za afya za msingi katika ngazi za serikali za kaunti na kitaifa, na pia msaada kwa afya ya kingono na uzazi na haki. Denmark imeweka ahadi ya kusaidia UNFPA kuendeleza kazi yao ya sasa katika Mandera, Marsabit, Wajir, Isiolo, Lamu na Migori kutoa mfuko kamili wa huduma katika afya ya uzazi, mama, mtoto mchanga, mtoto na kijana. Denmark imeahidi kutoa dola milioni 6 kusaidia nchi hizo sita kuzingatia zaidi wasichana na wanawake vijana kupitia hatua za kulenga na za msingi katika sekta mbalimbali. "Mtazamo wa msingi utakuwa ni kushughulikia sababu za kuanzisha ngono mapema kati ya wasichana na wavulana vijana, kuzaa mapema na ndoa mapema, na kutetea kuweka wasichana shuleni. """ Katika maonyesho ya jinsi ushirikiano katika kazi ya maendeleo lazima ufanywe kwenda mbele, washirika mbalimbali wa sekta binafsi wamejiunga na juhudi katika kaunti sita. Ingawa ni jambo la haki kufanya, ushirikiano huu haufuatani na msimamo wa maadili, lakini ushahidi halisi kwamba kupunguza vifo vya mama na watoto wachanga ni uwekezaji wa busara zaidi wa kubadilisha bahati ya uchumi maskini. """Uchunguzi wetu unaonyesha kwamba hakuna mipango ngumu inayohitajika kufanya tofauti halisi; hatua rahisi kama vile kuhakikisha wanawake zaidi huzaa kupitia msaidizi wa ujuzi huongeza sana nafasi za kuishi kwa mama na mtoto." "Kulazimisha jamii kuepuka mazoea kama vile kufanyiwa ngono na kuolewa mapema, ambayo huwaondoa utotoni, kuwafanya waondoke shuleni, kuwaweka katika umaskini, na kuwaweka katika hatari kubwa ya mimba na kuzaa.""" Ni juu ya kuwawezesha wanawake kupanga ikiwa na wakati wa kuwa na watoto. Pia ni kuhusu kutumia rasilimali za mitaa, kufanya kazi na miundo ambayo jamii za mitaa zinajisikia vizuri nayo. Katika Kaunti ya Wajir, kwa mfano, wajitoleaji wa afya wa jamii ya ndani wamefundishwa kutambua wanawake wajawazito ndani ya makundi ya watu 10,000, na kuwaunganisha na vituo vya afya ili kupokea huduma za utunzaji wa kabla ya kuzaliwa. Wanafunzi hao wanawafundisha wanawake wajawazito umuhimu wa huduma za utunzaji kabla ya kujifungua na jinsi ya kutambua dalili za hatari wakati wa ujauzito na baada ya kujifungua. Tayari, uzazi chini ya utunzaji wa wataalamu unazidi, ukiungwa mkono na mpango wa huduma ya bure ya uzazi wa Serikali. Takwimu za kimataifa zinaonyesha kuwa faida kubwa zaidi kutoka kwa kupunguza mimba zisizotarajiwa zitapatikana kwa nchi maskini zaidi, na ongezeko la Pato la Taifa (GDP) kuanzia asilimia moja hadi nane ifikapo mwaka 2035. Kuna hatua chache ambazo zingekuwa na athari kubwa kama hizo. Endelea kuwa na habari. Jisajili kwa jarida letu