KAKAMEGA COMMITTED TO IMPROVE MATERNAL & NEONATAL HEALTH CARE

Kakamega County’s health sector is the highest funded among all the other government sectors in line with the governor’s manifesto on better health services to all and Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda.

It is against this background that Kakamega governor H.E. FCPA Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya today hosted a high level delegation from the Council of Governors (COG), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Harvard University, Kenya’s ministry of Health and the county government’s Ministry of Health services at the governor’s boardroom in Kakamega, to discuss ways of partnering on redesigning the service delivery approach to improve survival chances of mothers and newborns as well as improved efficiency of county health system in general.

Findings from a study conducted by Harvard University in collaboration with the other key partners indicate that; Geographical access, Hospital capacity and Human resource capacity among others, are some of the challenges facing mothers in the County.

Once the service delivery has been redesigned, all women will be able to deliver in Level 4 or Level 5 facilities or in nearby maternity facilities. Health centres and dispensaries will be basically used for provision of quality antenatal, postnatal and newborn care and not for deliveries.

Also present during the meeting were deputy governor H.E. Prof. Philip Museve Kutima, CECM for Health services Rachel Okumu and the chief officer Dr. Beatrice Etemesi, COG CEO Jacqueline Mogeni, County Secretary and Head of Public Service Jacinta Aluoch Odhiambo, Deputy Director of MNCH-Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Dr. Jeffrey Smith, Prof. Margaret Kruk, Professor of Health Systems-Harvard University and Dr. Charles Kandie from the Ministry of Health among others.