This archive report was first published on 9 August 2019.
On August 9, 2019, a significant partnership was announced between the County Government of Mombasa and Safaricom Foundation to revamp the Newborn Unit at Coast General Hospital.
The partnership, which aims to improve maternal and child health services in the region, will see Safaricom Foundation allocate KES 10 million for the renovation of the unit, while Mombasa County will contribute KES 9 million for equipping it.
The announcement was made during a forum in Mombasa, which brought together County health officials from the six Coastal Counties under the economic bloc 'Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani' (JKP).
According to Sanda Ojiambo, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Safaricom, the foundation has been implementing several projects in the Coast region as part of its Maternal and Child Health engagement with the six Counties. These projects include the construction of a new born unit at the Kilifi District Hospital and a maternal high dependency unit at Mombasa's Coast General Hospital.
Under its Maternal and Child Health programme, the Safaricom Foundation has set aside KES 132 million for three years to promote Maternal, Newborn and Child Health services around the country.
Ms Ojiambo emphasized the importance of advocating for access to maternal, neonatal and child health services, health financing, and the use of technology to improve efficiency for results.
According to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS) 2014, the neonatal mortality rate in Kenya stood at 22 per 1000 live births, with the Coast region recording the second-highest rate at 25 per 1000 live births.
