Shina foundation launches maternal and child health campaign in Kilifi

Shina Foundation Chairperson Mrs. Nazi Kivutha with the Kilifi Women Representative, Hon. Getrude Mbeyu during Okoa Mama na Mtoto Initiative briefing in Kilifi. [Courtesy/Standard]

A major boost to maternal and child health efforts in Kilifi County is underway as the Shina Foundation, led by former Makueni First Lady Mrs. Nazi Kivutha, joins the Okoa Mama na Mtoto Initiative (OMMI) - a three-year campaign funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and coordinated by the International Centre for Reproductive Health-Kenya (ICRH-K).

The initiative aims to drastically reduce Kenya's high rates of maternal and newborn deaths through targeted county-level action.

At a high-level forum this week in Kilifi, Mrs. Kivutha was joined by the Governor, County Assembly Speaker, Women's Representative, Senator, and County Commissioner to unveil the county's campaign rollout. Priority focus areas include Rabai, Ganze, and Kilifi South, with countywide plans for improved maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition services.

"Transforming care for mothers and babies demands more than intervention - it requires lasting change," said Mrs. Kivutha.

Globally, 295,000 women die each year from childbirth complications, while 2.5 million newborns die within 24 hours of birth. Kenya's neonatal mortality rate stands at 21 per 1,000 live births, far from the 2030 SDG target of 12.

Shina Foundation joins forces with a coalition of health and community partners - including MoH, Ushiriki Wema, Lwala Community Alliance, KMTC, KOGS, and Wanahabari Centre - to implement local action plans emphasizing skilled delivery, nutrition, and neonatal care.

"Our work in Kilifi is just the beginning," Mrs. Kivutha noted. "Through community-driven leadership and collaboration, we can rewrite Kenya's maternal and child health story."

The campaign places women-led, community-based leadership at its core - offering a hopeful, scalable model for saving lives across Kenya.