Britam launches program to improve maternal healthcare

In a move to reduce the maternal mortality rate in the country, Britam in partnership with Financial Sector Deepening Africa and Jacaranda Health have launched the Lea Mama system.

The Value Based Healthcare system, is designed to support expectant women through the journey from when they learn of their pregnancy up to six months after birth.

Speaking during the launch, Britam Group CEO Tom Gitogo acknowledged the urgent need to address the challenges facing maternal and neonatal healthcare in the country.

"Through the Britam Lea Mama initiative, we are committed to providing comprehensive support to pregnant women and newborns, ensuring they receive the care they need to thrive," he stated. 

According to Britam, Lea Mama will offer services including prenatal care, skilled birth attendance, postnatal care and newborn care.

Gitogo stated that the program is premised upon three main pillars.

"Firstly, it is a companion through pregnancy where care coordination is provided including friendly appointment reminders, ability to SMS and receive information on what to expect through the pregnancy or any concerns one may have," he explained.

"Secondly, it offers prenatal and postnatal care where a mother undergoes regular checkups depending on their pregnancy risk level, with more visits for high-risk pregnancies."

Additionally, mothers are provided with supplements like iron or folate, ultrasounds and afterbirth contraception options.

Gitogo added that Britam Lea Mama includes value adds and rewards,  such as transportation to the hospital for delivery and back home after delivery.

Other services are telehealth services, mental health support, fruit baskets, and baby care bags that include necessities such as diapers and wipes.

The program comes with PROMPTS, an AI-enabled digital health service developed by Jacaranda Health.

The service facilitates a two-way SMS exchange that will help empower pregnant women to seek timely and appropriate care.

By tracking the stage of pregnancy, PROMPTS will send tailored SMS messages to mothers encouraging proactive care-seeking behaviors.

Additionally, an AI-enabled helpdesk service is available to prioritise and respond to mothers' inquiries, initiating a rapid referral process when high-risk conditions, such as heavy bleeding, are identified.

To ensure the success and viability of the initiative, Gitogo noted that Lea Mama will collect data on maternal and neonatal health indicators to track progress and make data-driven decisions.

Participating healthcare providers will also undergo extensive training sessions focusing on appropriate labor management, obstetric emergency recognition and effective patient communication.

Further, the program's implementing partners will continuously monitor clinical outcomes, and patient satisfaction to ensure the impact of the program.

"By adopting a value-based approach, we aim to enhance the quality of care while reducing the per-capita cost of healthcare," FSD Kenya CEO Tamara Cook said.

"This collaborative effort represents a significant step towards achieving sustainable improvements in maternal and neonatal health outcomes in Kenya."

Britam's Lea Mama program was occasioned by the need to reduce the factors leading to a high maternal mortality rate. 

According to recent figures from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS, 2022), the maternal mortality ratio stands at 355 per 100,000 live births and the neonatal mortality rate at 21 per 1,000 live births.

The statistics highlight the urgent need for improvement to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets of reducing the maternal mortality ratio to 70 per 100,000 live births and the neonatal mortality rate to 12 per 1,000 live births by 2030.