Okoa Mama na Mtoto (Maternal and Newborn Survival) Initiative (OMMI)

Despite notable progress in increasing coverage and access to maternal and newborn health initiatives, Kenya remains significantly off track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births and 12 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030. Many of the solutions needed to accelerate progress are well known by local experts. There is a need for coordinated action so that priorities are translated into national and sub-national plans and budgets, that committed funds flow through the system and that community-led accountability efforts feed into decision-making.

Under the leadership of the International Centre for Reproductive Health Kenya, the Okoa Mama na Mtoto – Maternal and Newborn Survival – Initiative (OMMI) brings together a host of partners to fast-track progress towards the maternal and newborn SDGs in Kenya. Partners include Options Consultancy Services (Options), Ushiriki Wema, KOGs, KMTC, Lwala Community Alliance, County Youth RH Networks, Shina Foundation, Fountain of Hope, FANIKISHA, Ollwi/Touch a Life, WPWD and Wanahabari.

Working at the national and sub-national level in priority geographies, OMMI aims to achieve the following by 2027:

1. Increased adoption of policies that enable scaling for MNCH best buys
2. Increased quantity and quality of domestic funding for maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH)
3. Improved execution of policies prioritising MNCH

Options is working with local stakeholders to achieve these goals in Nairobi and Bungoma Counties. Leveraging our longstanding relationships and successful initiatives in these counties, our work focuses on:

• Adoption of MNCH ‘best buys’: We work closely with County Department of Health (DOH), Health Management Teams (HMTs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to identify gaps and ensure MNCH priorities, including lifesaving commodities, are included in workplans and budgets.
• Spending on MNCH: We track the flow of funding for MNCH through the health system and ensure that facilities are availing of the Facility Improvement Fund (FIF) provisions which allows them to use their own income for operational and maintenance costs.
• Accountability for MNCH: We strengthen community accountability including through the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) Committees, ensuring follow up action by decision-makers.