M-PESA Foundation launches Uzazi Salama in Kilifi County

M-PESA Foundation, in partnership with Amref Health Africa and the County Government of Kilifi, launch the Uzazi Salama programme at Junju Dispensary in Kilifi County. The  maternal health programme is set to strengthen Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child, and Adolescent health outcomes (RMNCAH) for mothers and children in the County.

“Health is one of our key pillars at M-PESA Foundation, with a major focus on maternal and child healthcare. Through Uzazi Salama, we have been able to impact the lives of over 350,000 people in Samburu and Homa Bay counties, and we hope to impact even more here in Kilifi. We seek to ensure that mothers and children receive quality healthcare, from prenatal care through the delivery room and into postnatal care,” said Patricia Ithau, Trustee, M-PESA Foundation during the launch on April 25^th ,2024.

The programme will operate for three years aiming to increase the demand for reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health service interventions by the year 2027 and focus on strengthening governance and leadership in the county. The dispensary would serve as a health facility for minor cases, offering referral services to public hospitals for cases that are beyond their capacity.

“Mpesa foundation is putting in 9 million shilling for the building of a quality facility that brings a lot more dignity to the mothers at this level. This is a simple delivery it’s not going to take care of complications they’ll be instead referred to the level three hospital in Mtwapa or vipingo ,” added Ithau .

During her address, Flora Mbetsa Deputy governor Kilifi County, lauded the partnerships for investing in Maternal and newborn health initiatives in her area. She said the new dispensary will help decongest the public hospitals.

“We said that health is very important and that in every Sub County we will make sure that we a have level four hospital. And because of the size of the ward let’s make sure that the one hundred and fifty dispensaries that we say we have in our state of Kilifi County, are working because we want to decongest the big hospitals. We are grateful to build partnership working together with people from this area, together with our health department and the governor. I say thank you to Mpesa Foundation and even Amref who are also the implementers of this matter together with the county government working together to ensure that no woman losses their life nor their childs,” said Mbetsa.

Meanwhile in Kwale County, M-PESA Foundation broke ground on a KES 32 million maternal newborn and child health complex at Msambweni County Referral Hospital. The newborn unit is expected to improve delivery with a range of services that will reduce infant mortality rates.