Studying Kenya's Largest Maternity Hospital
August 10, 2009
Maternal and child health are central to the Commission and to this trip to Kenya. Helping both new mothers and infants survive their most vulnerable period of time is a top priority of governments and families alike. The Commission visited the Pumwani Maternity Hospital to see first-hand the efforts of this urban, public institution to handle the enormous demand for maternal and child health care. (The hospital isn't just the largest maternity health center in Kenya; it's the largest in both East and Central Africa). This is the first APHIA II site that Adm. Fallon's group is visiting.
There are four proven technical interventions that improve safe motherhood:
- Access to family planning
- Skilled care during pregnancy and childbirth by a quality midwife, nurse, or doctor
- Emergency care for life-threatening complications
- Postpartum care for the mother and newborn
The hospital has come a long way since it was known as a place where new mothers lost their babies to kidnapping and negligence. The delegation saw the progress firsthand at the antenatal clinic, maternity ward, and neonatal clinic.
