Residents of Lamu County will benefit from improved maternal health services after the Safaricom Foundation invested over Ksh4 million in a health facility in the county.

At Mpeketoni Sub County Hospital, the Safaricom Foundation handed over newly constructed maternity units for Ksh4.15 million. This facility will reduce congestion and bring maternal healthcare services closer to the residents of Mpeketoni.

“Partnerships are the key to attaining SDG 3, which focuses on promoting healthy lifestyles and well-being for everyone. With the leadership of the Lamu County Government, we have a successful collaboration in which we have invested more than Ksh33 million for maternity care. We anticipate that these most recent efforts will get us closer to reaching maternal and newborn mortality rates that are almost nil,” said Joseph Ogutu, Safaricom Foundation Chairman.

M-PESA Foundation also closed its Uzazi Salama project in Lamu, which has so far seen over 86,000 women and children benefit from maternal healthcare services. The project was started in 2021.

Safaricom Foundation’s maternal health interventions in Lamu are aimed at reducing the maternal mortality rate which stands at 676 deaths per 100,000 births compared to the national rate of 362 deaths per 100,000 live births. The objective is to also eliminate the infant mortality rate which stands at 4.81 deaths per 1,000 live births.

The Foundation has also commissioned an education project worth Ksh100,000 in the county through the Ndoto Zetu initiative, with Kangaja Primary School in Lamu West receiving desks and chairs.

Read: Inside Safaricom Foundation’s 2023-2026 Strategy

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