New Mother-and-Child Centers Improve Postnatal Care

Several counties in Kenya are launching new mother-and-child units to strengthen postnatal care and improve outcomes for both mothers and newborns. In Nyahururu, a dedicated Mother and Child Unit was officially opened on 4 March 2024 at the Referral Hospital, offering better access to postnatal checkups, outpatient services, and maternal‑child support in a single facility.
In Vihiga County, the M‑PESA Foundation has invested KSh 60 million in a modern Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health (MNCH) wing at the Vihiga County Referral Hospital. The new unit increases bed capacity from 15 to 32 and includes an 8‑bed newborn unit designed for postnatal care, aiming to provide safer deliveries and higher-quality support for mothers and infants.
Similarly, in Kitui County, the local government and the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) inaugurated two maternal and newborn health units — one at the county referral hospital and another at Nuu Sub‑County Hospital. The Little Angels Newborn Unit has a 70‑bed capacity, and staff training has been intensified in early essential newborn care (EENC), Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), and emergency obstetric and newborn care.
These new centres are part of a broader health strategy to improve postnatal care and reduce both neonatal and maternal mortality. By integrating specialized infrastructure, expert training, and family-centered services like lactation and counseling support, the counties aim to make postnatal visits more effective and more accessible — ultimately helping more mothers and babies survive and thrive.