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Health

GOVERNOR MUTULA SIGNS DEAL TO EXPAND NUTRITION SERVICES IN MAKUENI.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vitamin Angels Founder Howard B. Schiffer on behalf of the people of Makueni County, in a move aimed at strengthening maternal and child nutrition services.

The partnership seeks to accelerate access to essential nutrition services for underserved pregnant women, infants, and children across the county.

Before the signing ceremony, the Vitamin Angels delegation paid a courtesy call on the governor. The team included the organisation’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ana Cespedes, among other officials.

The delegation is also in Makueni to flag off a consignment of multiple micronutrient supplements that will benefit pregnant women in the county.

MAKUENI MARKS WORLD MENSTRUAL HYGIENE DAY WITH CALL TO EMPOWER GIRLS.

The Department of Health Services on Thursday joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Menstrual Hygiene Day through an awareness and empowerment event held at Nziu Primary School grounds under the theme, “Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld.”

County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health Services Joyce Mutua called on society to create a supportive environment for girls free from stigma and discrimination associated with menstruation.

Speaking during the event, Mutua led county health officials in distributing dignity packs to learners from Nziu Primary School, Nziu Vocational Training Centre and neighbouring schools.

She lauded the government for supporting menstrual hygiene programmes aimed at improving the welfare and dignity of school-going girls.

The CECM further urged girls to remain focused on their education and seek proper guidance to avoid early pregnancies, noting that some cases result in childbirth complications and premature births.

She also called on chiefs and local administrators to take firm action against individuals involved in defiling and impregnating school-going girls.

Makueni Sub-County Deputy County Commissioner Paul Langat called for increased support for school-going girls, urging schools and stakeholders to improve sanitation and hygiene facilities to enable girls to learn comfortably and confidently during their menstrual cycle.

The event featured health talks, menstrual hygiene awareness sessions and the issuance of dignity packs.

It brought together county officials, education stakeholders, health officers and community leaders in promoting dignity, health and equal opportunities for girls.

MATILIKU SUB COUNTY HOSPITAL RECEIVES MEDICAL EQUIPMENT.

The County Government of Makueni has stepped up efforts to

strengthen healthcare services and improve access to quality medical care for residents by providing medical equipment to Matiliku Sub County Hospital in Nzaui/Kilili/Kalamba Ward.

The hospital on Wednesday received theatre and patient-care equipment aimed at enhancing surgical services, emergency response, and overall patient safety within the facility.

The equipment includes an operating theatre table, theatre lights, an anesthesia machine, infusion pumps, syringe pumps, an electro-surgical machine, a suction bed, and patient monitors.

The County Government under Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. is committed to equipping health facilities, expanding access to specialized healthcare services, and ensuring residents receive timely, safe, and quality treatment closer to home.

With the provision of the equipment, medical personnel at the facility say it is now better positioned to handle surgical procedures efficiently.

DEVELOPMENT AND UNITY OF PURPOSE:

H.E. Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. Thursday commissioned the Kyaani Health Centre Maternity Block in Thange Ward, Kibwezi East.

The event brought together the Makueni leadership team, including Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili, Senator Daniel Maanzo, Speaker Douglas Mbilu, Clerk Kevin Mutuku, County Executive Committee Members (ECMs), and several sitting and former MCAs.

The Governor is currently on a “Meet the People” development tour in the ward, engaging residents and inspecting ongoing development projects aimed at improving service delivery and community welfare.

NYANDARUA DELEGATION BENCHMARKS MAKUENI’S DIGITAL AND MATERNAL HEALTHCARE INNOVATIONS

The Government of Makueni County on Wednesday hosted a high-level delegation from Nyandarua County for a benchmarking visit at Makueni County Referral Hospital, as counties continue to embrace knowledge sharing in strengthening healthcare systems.

The delegation, led by Nyandarua CECM for Health Juliana Tsinanga alongside Chief Officers and Medical Superintendents, toured the facility to learn about governance and administration of the Level 5 hospital, management of clinical services, maternal healthcare and specialized treatment areas including oncology.

A key area of interest was the Proximie technology, an innovative digital health platform enabling doctors at Makueni County Referral Hospital to remotely guide, train and support other health facilities in clinical procedures and specialized care.

Makueni CECM for Health Services Joyce Mutua noted that the benchmarking visit provided an opportunity for health professionals from both counties to exchange knowledge and strengthen service delivery systems aimed at improving patient care.

Nyandarua Health Services CECM Juliana Tsinanga applauded Makueni for its strides in digital health and maternal healthcare, particularly efforts that have contributed to reducing maternal mortality linked to Postpartum hemorrhage. She also commended the county’s openness, collaborative approach and innovative strategies in retaining healthcare workers within the system.

MAKUENI DEEPENS DIGITAL HEALTH PUSH WITH PROMIXIE EXPANSION DEAL

Makueni County has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mawingu Foundation to expand internet connectivity to sub-county hospitals, paving the way for wider deployment of Proximie’s digital healthcare technology across the county.

The agreement will strengthen last-mile internet connectivity in health facilities, allowing Makueni to scale the Proximie platform from the Makueni County Referral Hospital to hospitals in remote parts of the county.

The move is expected to improve access to specialized healthcare services by enabling doctors and specialists to support medical teams remotely, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for treatment.

Makueni became the first county in Africa to adopt Proximie technology in its public healthcare system in 2022. The platform enables real-time remote collaboration during medical procedures through live video, audio and augmented reality tools, allowing specialists to guide surgeries, offer consultations and mentor clinicians from different locations.

Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. said the expansion reflects the county’s commitment to using technology to bridge gaps in healthcare access, particularly for residents in undeserved areas.

He noted that the system has helped reduce unnecessary referrals while improving training, data protection and the overall quality of care in county health facilities.

The signing was witnessed by Proximie’s Head of Global Health, Dr. Shannon Shibata-Germanos, who praised Governor Mutula for pioneering the adoption of the technology in Kenya’s public health sector and for leading efforts to scale the innovation across the county.

MAKUENI LEADS KENYA IN POST-PARTUM HEMORRHAGE RESPONSE

The Head of the Division for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Edward Serem, has commended Makueni County for emerging as a national leader in the implementation of post-partum hemorrhage Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EMONC) protocols.

Dr. Serem called on other counties to emulate Makueni’s approach, noting that the implementing partners declined to pilot the programme in another county, citing Makueni’s strong leadership and the conducive environment created for successful implementation of the project.

He further revealed that another development partner had also chosen to pilot a health project in Makueni for similar reasons, urging counties to remain open-minded and supportive towards development partners working within the health sector.

Dr. Serem spoke in Nairobi on Monday while addressing intra-partum members of the Communities of Practice, a Maternal Health Technical Working Group established by the Ministry of Health and key partners to facilitate substantive technical discussions on maternal and newborn health.

The meeting focused on reviewing the current maternal and newborn health status related to intra-partum care, dissemination of findings from the AMPLI-PPHI study, and briefing members on the EWENE Rapid Initiative.

The Communities of Practice serve as technical platforms for in-depth thematic engagement, review of programme data and emerging evidence, identification of implementation challenges, generation of evidence-based recommendations, and contribution to the broader Maternal Health Technical Working Group discourse.

During the meeting, Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. was also commended for supporting RMNCAH implementation and championing interventions aimed at combating post-partum hemorrhage.

Makueni County has become a national benchmark after recording zero maternal deaths resulting from post-partum hemorrhage in 2023, 2024, and since January 2026 to date.

MAKUENI ADVANCES WITH MULTIPLE MICRONUTRIENT SUPPLEMENTATION AS STUDY REVEALS LOW IFAS ADHERENCE AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN

A recent study conducted by Department of Health Services in partnership with Vitamin Angels has revealed low adherence to Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (IFAS) among pregnant women despite high coverage during antenatal clinic visits.

The findings show that while 93.1 per cent of women attending prenatal care receive IFAS tablets, only 17 per cent complete the recommended dosage.

Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation remain a critical nutritional intervention aimed at preventing anaemia in pregnancy and reducing birth defects while supporting maternal and fetal health.

However, the study established that many pregnant women in Makueni fail to complete the dosage due to concerns over the alleged smell and unpleasant taste of the tablets among other characteristics.

The study further revealed growing acceptance of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS), with 95.4 per cent of pregnant women expressing willingness to use the supplement.

The World Health Organization-recommended MMS contains 15 essential vitamins and minerals ( iron and folic included) specifically formulated to improve maternal nutrition, pregnancy outcomes, and infant health.

Makueni County, which this year became the first in the country to launch the supplementation programme, is now adopting a multi-sectoral approach to ensure successful implementation and adherence.

The county government has brought together several departments, including Agriculture, Health, Education, Gender, Finance, and Socio-Economic Planning, to strengthen nutrition interventions among mothers and adolescent girls.

The Department of Agriculture is supporting food systems and dietary diversity initiatives such as kitchen gardens and food preservation, while the Department of Health is working closely with the education sector to improve antenatal care awareness among school-going adolescents.

According to the findings, adolescents account for 11 per cent of antenatal clinic attendees, with studies indicating that 66 per cent of them record the lowest adherence to Iron and Folic Acid supplementation.

Vitamin Angel’s Africa Technical Director, Dr. Lucy Kanya, who spoke on Friday as she addressed healthcare workers and other stakeholders noted that full implementation of MMS programmes across Africa would significantly contribute to the achievement of suitable development goals on zero hunger, good health and well-being, and gender equality.

She noted that full implementation of MMS programmes across Africa would significantly contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals on zero hunger, good health and well-being, and gender equality.

Health Services CECM Joyce Mutua believes the transition to MMS could mark a major breakthrough in improving maternal and child health outcomes, especially in vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities.

MAKUENI HEALTH WORKERS SHARPEN EMERGENCY SKILLS THROUGH SPECIALIZED PEDIATRIC TRAINING

The Government of Makueni County has intensified efforts to strengthen emergency healthcare services through a specialized Pediatric Emergency Medicine Skills Workshop held in the Makueni Mother and Child Hospital on Friday bringing together nurses, clinicians, medical officers and consultants from across the county.

The two-day training focused on enhancing emergency response and trauma management for children, equipping healthcare workers with advanced practical skills in Pediatric Trauma Life Support (PTLS) and Point of Care Ultrasound Clinical Integration.

Participants underwent hands-on sessions on airway management, trauma procedures, shock management, ultrasound scanning, fracture assessment and emergency clinical decision-making.

The workshop was organized in collaboration with international medical experts and partners including The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Hadassah Medical Center, with facilitators guiding participants through simulation exercises and practical emergency response scenarios.

The initiative is expected to improve the quality of emergency pediatric care across health facilities in Makueni, boosting the capacity of frontline health workers to handle critical cases and save lives.