Every year in Kenya, an estimated 134,000 babies are born prematurely. At the same time, approximately 12% to 14% of newborns are born with low birth weight, weighing less than 2,500 grams. Prematurity and low birth weight remain among the leading causes of illness and death in newborns and children under five years in Kenya, contributing significantly to the country’s neonatal mortality rate of 21 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Behind these statistics are families navigating uncertainty, healthcare workers working against the odds, and newborns fighting for survival during their most vulnerable days of life.
The burden is often greatest in underserved and hard-to-reach regions, including Kenya’s arid and semi-arid counties such as Kitui, where barriers to healthcare access, maternal health challenges, poverty, and distance from specialized services can increase risks for mothers and newborns alike. Yet many of these deaths are preventable.
Sharon Wayua on a KMC session at the recently commissioned Unit
Kangaroo Mother Care: A Simple Intervention That Saves Lives
One of the most effective and evidence-based interventions for premature and low birth weight infants is Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), a simple but life-saving approach that combines continuous skin-to-skin contact, exclusive breastfeeding support, and close clinical monitoring to improve newborn survival, growth, and development.
Recognizing the critical need to strengthen newborn care services, CMMB Kenya, in partnership with the County Government of Kitui and with support from the Mary Cross Tippmann Foundation, commissioned a 10-bed Kangaroo Mother Care Unit at Kitui County Referral Hospital.
The newly completed Kangaroo Mother Care Unit provides a dedicated, comfortable, and dignified space where mothers can care for their babies while receiving clinical support from trained healthcare providers.
Previously, mothers practicing Kangaroo Mother Care often had to share limited space and rely on chairs rather than beds. Today, the new unit can comfortably accommodate up to 10 mothers and infants, significantly improving both patient experience and quality of care.
The new unit represents a significant expansion of neonatal care services at the hospital, building upon the Little Angels Newborn Unit commissioned by CMMB Kenya and Kitui Governor Dr. Julius Malombe in February 2025
The commissioning ceremony was led by Catholic Medical Mission Board President and CEO Mary Beth Powers and CMMB Kenya Executive Director and CEO Dr. James Kisia, alongside Kitui County Referral Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Mungai, county health representatives, healthcare workers, and community stakeholders.
CMMB leadership also met several mothers receiving care in the ward and listened to their experiences caring for premature infants of varying weights and medical needs.
CMMB Inc President and CEO Mary Beth Powers alongside KCRH Medical Superintendent Dr. Mungai and CMMB Kenya Executive Director & CEO Dr. James Kisia unveil the plaque at the Kangaroo Mother Care unit
The Power of Partnership in Transforming Health Outcomes
Speaking during the event, Mary Beth Powers emphasized the importance of strong partnerships in improving health outcomes for vulnerable communities.
“The progress we are witnessing today testifies what can be achieved when communities, governments, donors, and health partners work together. Every investment in newborn care is an investment in a child’s future and in the future of the community,“ she said.
Dr. James Kisia reaffirmed CMMB Kenya’s commitment to strengthening local health systems through sustainable investments that improve maternal and newborn health outcomes.
“Our goal is not only to save lives today but to build stronger systems that continue delivering quality care for generations to come. Every newborn deserves the opportunity to survive, thrive, and reach their full potential,“ he noted.
Building Stronger Futures for Mothers and Babies
This investment goes beyond infrastructure; it strengthens newborn care and ensures more babies have a fighting chance at life.
Over the years, CMMB Kenya has strengthened maternal and newborn health services in Kitui County by constructing five newborn care units and five maternity units, as well as renovating and modernizing several other health facilities, bringing lifesaving care closer to mothers and babies.
As CMMB Kenya continues to work alongside county governments, healthcare workers, donors, and communities, the goal remains clear: to ensure that every mother has access to quality care and every newborn has the opportunity not only to survive, but to thrive.
By Roy Mwangi |For CMMB Kenya