How Investment in newborn units is saving preterm babies in Siaya

For years, Siaya County recorded some of the highest rates of child mortality in the country, with an average of 63 deaths for every 1,000 live births.

A 2024 survey by Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) found that inadequate health infrastructure accounted for nearly half of preventable deaths among premature babies, robbing the county of some of its youngest lives.

But over the past three years, the establishment of newborn units at hospitals in Siaya and Bondo has begun to change that picture.

Premature babies weighing less than one kilogram at birth are now surviving and thriving against the odds.

There are now partnerships giving these newborns a fighting chance, while helping to bring down infant mortality in Siaya County.