PATH Kenya and partners launch Mother-Baby Friendly Initiative Plus

Nairobi, Kenya—PATH Kenya, in partnership with the Kenyan Government through the Ministry of Health and Nairobi County, is launching a transformative project aimed at addressing the needs of small and sick newborns (SSNBs) and their mothers, the Mother-Baby Friendly Initiative Plus (MBFI+). These most vulnerable babies are key drivers of neonatal mortality globally and in Africa, and preventing these deaths remains the biggest challenge in reducing child mortality globally.

Reducing neonatal mortality requires targeting the unique challenges faced by SSNBs and their mothers. These infants typically remain admitted in hospitals or intensive care units, potentially separated from their mothers for hours, days, weeks, or months at a time—with increasing risk of death, morbidities, and ongoing developmental challenges. Mothers of SSNBs experience trauma associated with high-risk delivery and having a newborn in critical care, compounded with limited in-facility support for maternal care or for discharge planning.

“Through innovative partnerships and sustained investment, we at Nairobi County are creating an enabling environment for mothers and newborns to thrive through integrated quality services,” says Esther Mogusu, Director of Wellness, Nutrition, and School Feeding, Nairobi County. “That is why we are investing in people-centered solutions; from strengthening neonatal care in our hospitals to expanding support for breastfeeding and human milk access, [this] is a cornerstone of our newborn health strategy.”

MBFI+ is a comprehensive care model to optimize feeding and save lives of SSNBs. This systems strengthening approach links kangaroo mother care, nurturing care, psychosocial support, specialized lactation support, locally appropriate human milk banking, and prevention and treatment of malnutrition as a packaged holistic intervention for mother and baby.

“This project builds on two decades of expertise as well as initial activities in Kenya,” says Dr. Nanthalile Mugala, PATH’s Chief of the Africa region. “Integrating proven interventions as a comprehensive and core component of care for small and sick newborns is critical to ensure mothers and babies are placed at the center of care. Working together with our partners, the MBFI+ model could be a strategic and sustainable approach to reducing neonatal mortality.”

PATH has successfully implemented adaptations of the MBFI+ model in Kenya, India, South Africa, and Vietnam. Between 2017 and 2019, PATH Kenya, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Nairobi County, and Pumwani Maternity Hospital, piloted the first integrated human milk bank in East and Central Africa. The human milk bank at Pumwani, with continued leadership from and supported by the Nairobi County Government, is a beacon of hope that has saved countless lives by prioritizing human milk through lactation as well as providing lifesaving donor milk to infants unable to breastfeed.

Funded by the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), the three-year project will be implemented in three facilities in Nairobi County. The three facilities will be selected in consultation with Nairobi County and the Ministry of Health.

“Proper nutrition for women and children transforms the lives of individuals and communities,” says Anna Hakobyan, Executive Director and Chief Impact Officer, Nutrition at CIFF. “It enables poverty reduction, good health and education, gender equality, and overall economic growth for communities and nations. To make this a reality, we need to take a full life cycle approach, which includes a concerted focus on vulnerable mothers and newborns. The MBFI+ model is powerful because it is scalable, taking a systemic approach to strengthening health systems, improving technology, and expanding global awareness—all to make sure that all newborns benefit from proper and vital nutrition.”

For more than 30 years, PATH Kenya has been a trusted partner to the Kenyan government and people, supporting the country’s rise as a health leader in East Africa and beyond. While strengthening national and subnational health systems, PATH Kenya works in the areas of digital health; epidemic preparedness and response; market dynamics; vaccines and immunization; maternal, newborn, and child health; and noncommunicable diseases.

For all media inquiries and interview requests:
Peter Abwao, Strategic Communications Officer
+254 711 590 911, pabwao@path.org

More on the Mother-Baby Friendly Initiative Plus
https://www.path.org/our-impact/media-center/path-kenya-and-partners-launch-mother-baby-friendly-initiative-plus/

About PATH Kenya
https://www.path.org/where-we-work/africa/kenya/

About Nairobi County—Health, Wellness and Nutrition
https://nairobi.go.ke/health-wellness-and-nutrition/

About Kenya Ministry of Health
https://www.health.go.ke/

About Children’s Investment Fund Foundation
https://ciff.org/