On February 14th, 2024, the Office of the Governor of Homabay County, Hon. Gladys Wanga, received Population Services Kenya’s CEO, Dr. Margaret Njenga, the British High Commissioner, Neil Wigan, and the Deputy Development Director, Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), Eduarda Mendonca.
The visit aimed at laying bare the palpable impact witnessed through the six-year UKAID-funded Delivering Sustainable and Equitable Increases in Family Planning (DESIP) programme, whose central focus is to increase access to and use of modern contraceptives across 12 counties in Kenya.
The goal of the programme is to ensure that women and girls can safely plan their pregnancies and improve their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), particularly the young, rural, and marginalized, with programme impact contributing to reduced maternal mortality, newborn, and child mortality, and increased modern contraceptive prevalence rate in Kenya.
The afternoon was marked with a hive of activities ranging from an auspicious reception of the High Commissioner, a press conference, and later a tour around the Homabay County Referral Hospital, where the High Commissioner and CEO interacted with persons living with disabilities in the maternal and child health wing.
Speaking during the presser, the Governor, Gladys Wanga, lauded the strategic partnership between PS Kenya and the County Government of Homabay, acknowledging the pivotal role and positioning of PS Kenya in transformative interventions in reproductive health.
“We have put a lot of focus on health because Homa Bay is among the counties with the highest levels of teenage pregnancy and maternal mortality. We are pleased with Population Services Kenya for its efforts in handling reproductive health in Homabay County,” she said.
The Governor reaffirmed the county’s unwavering commitment to fostering an enabling environment for partnerships to thrive, thereby ensuring continued progress in healthcare delivery and access for all residents.
The synergy between Population Services Kenya and UKAID under the DESIP programme, which spans over six years, has yielded commendable progress in maternal health indicators, reflecting a resounding testament to the efficacy of partnership-driven approaches in effecting transformative change.
Noteworthy achievements include an impressive 8% surge in modern contraceptive usage, a commendable 10% reduction in teenage pregnancy rates, and a substantial drop in the total fertility rate from 5.2 to 3.3, as recorded by the latest Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS) data.
“I firmly believe in the transformative power of strategic partnerships to drive meaningful change in healthcare delivery. At Population Services Kenya, we are dedicated to forging alliances that will advance healthcare outcomes, especially in underserved and vulnerable communities,” stated Dr. Margaret Njenga.
Dr. Margaret Njenga, Population Services Kenya CEO, a staunch champion of meaningful and change-driven partnerships, emphasised the role of strategic partnerships in effecting and sustainable change in healthcare delivery. Reiterating Population Services Kenya’s unwavering resolve to advance healthcare outcomes, particularly in underserved and vulnerable communities.
The visit to the Homabay County Referral Hospital served as an important reminder of the profound impact achievable through collaborative action and strategic alliances. As Population Services Kenya and UKAID strengthen their joint resolve to address prevailing challenges in reproductive health, it remains a blueprint for all parties to forge towards better health and wellbeing.
