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New “Beyond Zero Campaign” to improve maternal and child

health outcomes in Kenya30 January 2014

Fifteen women die every day due to pregnancy related complications in Kenya and 20% of all deathsamong mothers in the country are AIDS-related

In order to improve maternal and child health outcomes in the country! the First "ady of Kenya!

#argaret Kenyatta launched the $eyond &ero 'ampaign( on 2) *anuary in Kenya(s capital +airo,i

he new initiative also aims to accelerate the implementation of the national plan towards the

elimination of new .I/ infections among children

I am deeply saddened ,y the fact that women and children in our country die from causes that can

,e avoided It doesn(t have to ,e this way!1 said #s Kenyatta his is why I am launching the

$eyond &ero 'ampaign( which will ,ring prenatal and postnatal medical treatment to women and

children in our country1

 According to the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women and Children’s Health

2013 Udate !eort ! in 202 alone! more than 00 000 children died ,efore their fifth ,irthday3

largely due to preventa,le causes In the same year! 4 000 new .I/ infections occurred among

children and 52% of children living with .I/ did not access life-saving antiretroviral drugs

I wished that my mother had ,etter access to maternal health care services that would have

protected her from contracting .I/!1 said Dorcas Kawira! a 2 year old .I/ positive law student She

also stressed the challenges she e6perienced in accessing and using .I/ treatment during her

childhood She highlighted that investing in the $eyond &ero campaign( would secure the necessary

maternal and child health care to protect her and other young women living with .I/

Donors and private sector organi7ations have already pledged funds to purchase mo,ile clinics that

will provide integrated .I/! maternal and child health outreach services in the country For e6ample!

*ames #wangi! 'hief 86ecutive 9fficer of 8:uity an; in Kenya! pledged ?0 000 during the

launch event he #inistry of .ealth will also invest in 20) an estimate of

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NEW YORK 

First Lady Margaret Kenyatta+s ,eyond -ero ca$paign received a standing ovation at the !"th session of the #o$$ission on the

%tatus of &o$en in New York even as she called for $ore action to reduce deaths and pro$ote the health of $others and

children'

Mrs Kenyatta who spoke on the sidelines of the conference taking place at the United Nations headuarters e.presseddisappoint$ent that /0 years after countries $eeting in ,ei1ing resolved to address health proble$s facing $others and children2

in Kenya the issues re$ain 3largely unchanged'++

%he told participants at a presentation and panel discussion to highlight her efforts to increase access to health and reduction (45

and 6ids services a$ong wo$en and children that it was the reason her office initiated the ,eyond -ero ca$paign2 to stop new

infections of the pande$ic and pro$ote $aternal2 new born and child health'

3*o save $ore lives2 we $ust reach the $ost $arginalised2 disadvantaged and under7served populations and increase their access

to essential infor$ation and health services2++ Mrs Kenyatta told the participants at her 3%trategic Leadership for wo$en and girls

health7the ,eyond -ero ca$paign in Kenya2++ foru$'

GREAT MODEL

%o$e of those who attended were Mrs 8achel 8uto2 the wife of Deputy President &illia$ 8uto2 #abinet %ecretary for

Devolution and Planning Ms 6nne &aiguru who is heading Kenya+s delegation to the conference which include wo$en %enators2

MPs a few governors and $e$bers of the civil society and head of Kenya+s Per$anent Mission to the United Nation Mr

Macharia Ka$au'

Delegates at the well7attended foru$ lauded the ,eyond -ero as a great $odel in saving lives of $others and children fro$

 preventable diseases'

Mrs Kenyatta said the ,eyond -ero ca$paign whose clinics are euivalent to a level7four hospital2 reuires /9 $ore $obile

clinics to cover /: counties' %o far2 she has handed over such clinics to /; counties'

*hrough the ca$paign2 the First Lady said2 her office had co$pli$ented govern$ent actions where free $aternity services had

 beco$e available in national hospitals'

3)ur e.periences have been very enlightening and gratifying in seeing the lives of our $others and children saved fro$

 preventable deaths2++ Mrs Kenyatta told participants who were also shown a short docu$entary of the dividends of the fully

euipped $obile clinics in various parts of the county'

FOCUSED LEADERSHIP

Deputy

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Ms Madina =olicha2wife of 4siolo governor2 who spoke for counties talked of the benefits of the clinics and asked that each

county gets $ore than one $obile clinic'

*he First Lady announced she would host a %top #ervical and ,reast and Prostate #ancer in Nairobi in >uly'