In Bungoma County, Okoa Mama na Mtoto Initiative (OMMI) was officially launched through a high-level inception meeting that brought together health leaders, civil society, media, and key development partners. Led by Options Consultancy Services Ltd a subgrantee under OMMI project and supported by the International Centre for Reproductive Health Kenya (ICRHK), this marks a renewed and urgent call to action.
The meeting convened representatives from the County Health Management Team (CHMT), the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health, the Social Health Authority, civil society coalitions under the RMNCAH Network, and media professionals. Together, they set the stage for a coordinated, data-driven, and community-anchored approach to reversing the high rates of maternal and newborn mortality in the region.
Bungoma remains one of the top 10 high-burden counties for maternal and perinatal deaths in Kenya. With a maternal mortality ratio of 385 per 100,000 live births and a neonatal mortality rate of 21 per 1,000 live births, the county continues to contribute significantly to Kenya’s maternal health crisis.
While first antenatal care (ANC) visits boast a high coverage of 92%, the steep drop to only 50% for fourth ANC visits reveals serious gaps in service utilization. At the same time, skilled birth attendance stands at 88%, and full immunization coverage at 80% numbers that reflect progress but also point to missed opportunities for comprehensive care.
Despite these challenges, Bungoma’s county budget allocations for RMNCAH programming have remained below 1% of the total health budget for the past three years. The recent rollout of the 2024 National MPDSR Guidelines has also yet to reach frontline health workers in the county. These gaps paint a clear picture: more must be done, urgently and collaboratively.
The Okoa Mama na Mtoto Initiative enters the scene with a clear purpose: to build on past gains and forge a new, more integrated path forward. During the meeting, Options Consultancy Services shared the project’s core pillars, strengthening maternal and newborn health systems, improving governance and accountability, and using evidence to drive decision-making.
OMMI’s approach is rooted in collaborative engagement. Participants discussed ways to harness the county’s strong community health networks and ongoing reforms to elevate maternal and newborn care. The project will also prioritize the institutionalization of Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) at all levels of care county, sub-county, and community.
In her remarks, the County Reproductive Health Coordinator emphasized the importance of revitalizing the MPDSR process and ensuring that recommendations from maternal death reviews are implemented. She also stressed the need for quality facility-based care and greater inclusion of adolescent maternal health in service planning.
The meeting culminated in a powerful commitment from the County Executive Committee Member for Health, who affirmed the county’s full support for the initiative.
“OMMI is exactly what we need right now,” he said. “It aligns with our strategic priorities, and we are ready to walk this journey together to ensure no mother or newborn is lost to preventable causes.”
The Okoa Mama na Mtoto Initiative comes at a time when Bungoma’s maternal and newborn health outcomes demand renewed investment and energy. By aligning development partners, local leadership, health workers, and communities under a common goal, OMMI is setting the stage for transformative change.
As Bungoma embarks on this new chapter, the commitment is clear: to save lives, to close equity gaps, and to give every woman and every newborn a chance at a safe and healthy future.
