2,500 join safe birth initiative in Vihiga County

Governor Wilber Ottichilo (centre) when he visited Catherine Kavere and her husband Evans Chavulimu at their home in Sabatia during Easter. Ottichilo visited women who have given birth under the ‘Ottichilo Care’ programme to check on their progress. [Nathan Ochunge, Standard]

A programme launched three months ago to encourage mothers to give birth in hospital has seen over 2,500 women deliver safely in health facilities across the county.

The Afya ya Mama na Mtoto initiative gives expectant women Sh1,000 as an incentive to encourage them to attend antenatal clinics, and also ensure their children are immunised.

The Sh30 million programme, referred to as Ottichilo Care, was started by Governor Wilber Ottichilo as a way of reducing maternal and infant mortality. The allocation will be factored in subsequent financial years. 

According to Clement Manyulu, the county public health chief officer, maternal deaths have reduced by 70 per cent since the launch of the initiative three months ago.

“We carried out a survey in 2017 and discovered that maternal deaths had skyrocketed and stood at 554 per 100,000 deliveries. We had to start the initiative so as to encourage mothers to deliver in health facilities,” said Mr Manyulu.

Manyulu said only 23 per cent of expectant women in the county delivered in hospital while the rest delivered either at home or with the help of traditional birth attendants.

Unsafe deliveries, he said, contributed to the high maternal and infant mortality rate.

“Of the 23 per cent who delivered in health facilities, 59 per cent did not bring their babies for immunisation.

“In 2017, about 40 per cent of all babies born in Vihiga County were not immunised,” said Manyulu.

Ottichilo said mothers who deliver in health facilities are given the money to help them take care of the babies’ nutritional needs.

Besides the cash, the mothers also get foods rich in nutrients from the county, free of charge, each time they visit hospital until the baby turns18 months.