Influencers, health experts, policymakers, and advocates held a meeting to raise awareness towards reducing maternal and newborn mortality in Kenya.
The advocates and influencers include Kenya's gospel artist Kambua Mathu, DJ Soxxy, famous journalist Mashirima Kapombe and musician Femi One.
They met under the banner Okoa mama Okoa Mtoto to charge communities, challenge systems and compel leadership to prioritise maternal health.
The forum was organised by Better4Kenya, a campaign that uses influencers, media, and partnerships to promote gender equality in Kenya.
It aimed to amplify public discourse and hold the government accountable for translating laws into tangible improvements in people's lives.
“We have organised this forum with known influencers because we understand the huge following they have, and knowing that if they use their influence in the different spaces, we would be able to fight maternal health problems as a whole,” Ashley Odhiambo, the organiser from Better4Kenya said.
“We have included men like Jackson Kamau, alias ‘Dj Soxxy’, because we want men to understand their responsibility in this conversation of maternal health,” she added.
The advocates were brought together based on the experiences they have had with maternal health, hence the need to do the advocacy to alleviate the pre and post-maternal issues that are bound to arise.
The influencers and advocates will be expected to use their influence in the different fields to champion for change on the approach different sectors take towards alleviating maternal problems, especially in the underserved and marginalised areas in the country.
They discussed the position of men in the fight against maternal health issues, where they will amplify what men should do to support their wives when maternal issues arise.
Among issues discussed are whether men will agree to opt for vasectomy in case other contraceptives backfire, and also engage in mass education for men on what they should do to reduce child and maternal deaths.
According to the World Health Organization, Kenya's maternal mortality ratio is high, estimated at around 355 deaths per 100,000 live births, with major causes including poor quality of care.
“Children, under-five mortality remains high, with major causes being pneumonia, diarrhea, and neonatal complications, despite progress in immunization coverage,” the WHO says
