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November 17 2025,<\/p>\nBy Njeri Irungu,November 17 2025,<\/p>\n
Makueni, Kenya.<\/p>\n
First Lady of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, Madam Tessie Musalia, has called for greater national investment in maternal and newborn health, urging government, policymakers, and partners to prioritize support for preterm babies and their mothers. She was speaking in Makueni County during a ceremony where the Mudavadi Memorial Foundation Trust Fund handed over life-saving neonatal equipment under its Okoa Malaika programme.<\/p>\n
The event was hosted at the Mother and Child Hospital, a branch of Machakos Referral Hospital, recently lauded for upgrading its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Musalia commended the facility\u2019s standards, recalling how its pristine environment caught her attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour doctor said that if you walk through their hospital, it smells clean, it is clean, and it is very organized,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I responded, yes, I\u2019m aware of that\u2014because if you had intentionally done it for today, there would have been a cowhide somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
She noted that the Okoa Malaika programme\u2014launched two years ago\u2014was designed to complement both county and national government efforts to reduce preventable deaths among preterm infants. The initiative equips level 4 and 5 hospitals with incubators and incubator blankets.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur heartfelt gratitude goes to the People\u2019s Republic of China,\u201d she said. \u201cTheir support has been instrumental in the realization of our Okoa Malaika programme, which loosely means \u2018save the angels\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
So far, the programme has reached 22 counties, distributing over 45 incubators. Musalia thanked Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. for hosting the event and acknowledged the warm welcome extended by First Lady Madam Anita Kilonzo.<\/p>\n
The highlight of the ceremony was the presence of children who were born prematurely but have since thrived. Musalia described them as a living symbol of hope. \u201cLook at them now\u2014little flowers, future footballers. What a lovely sight to behold,\u201d she said. \u201cEach incubator and each infant supported represents a triumph, and today, the triumph is represented right before us.\u201d<\/p>\n
She emphasized that reducing preterm births requires stronger maternal health focus, including better management of diabetes, hypertension, and nutrition during pregnancy. Musalia also cited findings from the World Health Organization linking climate change to worsening maternal and newborn health outcomes.<\/p>\n
But she reserved her most emotional appeal for the mothers of preterm infants\u2014women who often spend their entire maternity leave inside hospitals, oscillating between NICU corridors and duty at home.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey stay beside incubators, fighting fear and exhaustion as they pray for their babies\u2019 survival,\u201d she said. \u201cIf we are committed to improving newborn survival, then we must equally commit to supporting the young mothers who bring these babies into the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Musalia urged the Government of Kenya under President William Ruto, policymakers, and employers to champion extended maternity leave for mothers of preterm babies, arguing that supporting the mother strengthens the child, the family, and the nation.<\/p>\n
She also appealed for greater investment in Community Health Promoters (CHPs), describing them as the essential link between households and health facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey identify pregnant women at risk, provide antenatal follow-up, and make timely referrals before complications become emergencies,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is imperative that we strengthen their skills and resources to enhance their effectiveness and sustainability.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her call was echoed by Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, Guo Haiyan, who praised the Mudavadi Foundation\u2019s work and reaffirmed China\u2019s commitment to maternal and child health.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is truly remarkable and deeply commendable that the foundation has distributed incubators and incubator blankets to 22 counties,\u201d she said. \u201cEvery life is precious. Every family deserves warmth and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ambassador highlighted China\u2019s long-standing efforts in neonatal and maternal care, including establishing over 3,000 NICUs nationwide. She expressed optimism about deeper cooperation with Kenya.<\/p>\n
\u201cTogether, we can enhance our joint effort in premature infant care, family support, and capacity building to create a brighter and healthier future for every little angel\u2014Malaika,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
As the event closed, Musalia reaffirmed her commitment to championing vulnerable infants and the women who care for them, calling for sustained partnerships to ensure that no baby is lost to preventable causes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Njeri Irungu,November 17 2025, Makueni, Kenya. First Lady of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, Madam Tessie Musalia, has called for…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,108,7,153],"tags":[198,197,199],"class_list":["post-4298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-county","category-general-news","category-health","category-news","tag-chps","tag-makueni","tag-nicu"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4298"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4300,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4298\/revisions\/4300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsroomhub.co.ke\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}