Baringo governor Cheboi leads renewed push to strengthen maternal health efforts through support and partnerships. [File, Standard]
Baringo County has reaffirmed its commitment to end maternal mortality by enhancing healthcare services and implementing strategic interventions.
Governor Benjamin Cheboi received a donation of midwife kits on Tuesday to help curb maternal mortality.
Cheboi regretted that nationally, 300 out of 100,000 maternal mortality cases are reported, with Baringo recording 90 as per 2019 statistics.
Cheboi said that the county is partnering with health stakeholders to help reduce maternal mortality.
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“One child who dies during delivery is not acceptable. Childbirth and pregnancy are not diseases. It is preventable. All we need to do is to train our health practitioners and to sensitise our mothers to attend maternal and child health services,” said Cheboi.
Before devolution, Cheboi said that the county had 100 facilities, which have since tripled, though the staffing remains a challenge.
He claimed that the county is focusing on good food production with nutritional value to help in disease prevention.
Julius Mbeya, the CEO of Lwala Community Alliance, said that the handing over of the maternal kits focuses on improving and advancing the quality of care for women when they deliver.
“No woman should die giving birth, because that is what our society's responsibility is about. So we are grateful for the partnership, and we are hoping that together, whatever we are doing today can change the course of health outcomes in Baringo,” said Mbeya.
Mbeya said that they are partnering with 15 counties that have high maternal mortality, focusing on obstetrician and newborn care, and community health intervention.
He said that a lot needs to be done in the country to achieve zero maternal mortality.
Part of the intervention, he said, is talking about delivering safely, and rolling out the obstetric management intervention using non-pneumatic anti-shock garments.
200 non-pneumatic anti-shock garments, he said, have been deployed to 104 facilities with trained health care workers in emergency obstetric and newborn care.
Official from Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Adolescent Health, Dr Edward Serem, said that the vastness of the county has contributed to Baringo being selected to benefit from the midwife kits.
The Kits contained essentials such as sterile gloves, disinfectants, delivery instruments, and cord care materials.