By Mariana Mercy Takah-Mutwiri, Projects Officer at Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS)
The soft cries of a baby punctuate the air as my colleague and I walk into the labour ward at Maria Immaculata Hospital in Nairobi. Once inside, we find a happy mother soothing her infant. The excitement in the air is palpable as she holds her bundle of joy. We ask her the name of her newly born baby, but she smiles coyly before telling us they are yet to give her a name. Mary (not her real name) is one of the beneficiaries of the Mama & Toto Rescue Project, an initiative focused on improving health outcomes and reducing deaths among pregnant mothers, newborn, and children under five years of age. The project’s name, Mama and Toto are Swahili words for mother and child.
Mary’s birth story has a happy outcome, but throughout Kenya, maternal mortality rates remain unacceptably high. According to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS, 2014) maternal mortality rate (MMR) is at 362 per 100,000 live births, infant mortality rate (IMR) is at 39 per 1000 live births and under five mortality is at 52 per 1000 live births. This occurs despite the free maternal healthcare services being offered in all publicly funded hospitals in Kenya. Although Kenya has achieved tremendous successes of late, poverty rates are still high, especially in the rural areas, and this translates into poor birth outcomes for women and children throughout the country. Women with higher educational attainment are more likely to receive antenatal care from a medical doctor than women with lower education levels.
Women like Mary have sought care from Maria Immaculata Hospital, a health facility served by Mission for Essential Drugs & Supplies (MEDS), a Nairobi-based Christian not-for-profit organization. For 30 years, MEDS has provided reliable, quality, affordable essential drugs and medical supplies in Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa. In partnership with Johnson & Johnson, Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), the Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK), and others, MEDS serves over 1,820 health facilities and has trained over 18,000 health workers since 1987.
In June 2013, Johnson & Johnson partnered with MEDS to start Mama & Toto to improve health outcomes and reduce maternal and mortality deaths in Kenya by boosting the quality of maternity services available. With capacity building initiatives such as the training of traditional birth attendants, efforts to create strong referral systems, and provision of better equipment, Mama and Toto has grown over the last three years, and now benefits eight hospitals in Kenya. MEDS continues to make a difference in the lives of mothers, children, and health workers, and continues to offer mothers like Mary and their children a pathway to a healthy and fulfilled life.
Author’s Bio
Mariana Mutwiri is a project officer at Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS). Mariana has worked with various communities, local and global partners. She is also an active-volunteer mentor for young girls and uses her personal experience to inspire others. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s of science degree in health systems management.