Jayna Shah Past Cabinet Secretary Spouse of PID and Group Leader Dr. Manoj Shah Constitutional Area 6 Kenya Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. Good morning, my name is Jayna Shah, and I am the spouse of PID and current Group Leader Dr. Manoj Shah. We come from District 411A Nairobi, Kenya. I have been an active Lions member for over 20 years and have served in various capacities as a Lions member, including District Cabinet Secretary.

Lions of Kenya Fight Against Maternal and Child Mortality This morning, it gives me great pleasure to be a part of this very important session, as I share and deliberate on a matter of great national importance in Kenya. A subject that touches on the Dignity, Harmony and Humanity of mothers, newborns, children and adolescents in my home country Kenya; our fight against maternal and child mortality.

You want an early death? Try giving birth in Kenya. Childbirth should be a joyous moment for families and communities. Mothers are the gate-way to family and child health. As you will agree with me, the wealth of any nation is closely associated with the welfare of mothers and children. Unfortunately, Kenya is one of the most dangerous places to give birth, as it is one of the top ten countries in the world where the mortality rate is the highest. A mother attends to a her sick child in hospital. Maternal deaths in Kenya still one of the highest in the world.

Current Status Women and children die from preventable illness 108,000 Kenyan children die before their 5th birthday. Over 6,000 Kenyan women die every year due to pregnancy related causes. Over 108,000 Kenyan children die before their 5th birthday, of which more than 40% die within the first month after their birth. It is extremely disturbing to know that more than 6,000 Kenyan women die every year due to pregnancy related issues. It is a great matter of concern that in Kenya, as many as 21 women die everyday whilst giving birth.

Three Life Threatening Delays 1ST Delay Making a decision to seek care 2nd Delay: Accessing the health facility 3rd Delay: Receiving care at the health facility The three most life threatening delays that effect mortality are: the delay in making a decision to seek care, the delay in accessing the health facility and the delay in receiving care at the health facility. Simple interventions that can remove barriers for accessing essential care for pregnant women, such as decreasing user fees, reducing the distance to service delivery points, and increasing qualified birth attendants, are within our reach and require priority attention. Lions in Kenya are continuously looking for ways to help remove these barriers in order to have an impact on the lives of these women and children.

Why Mothers and Newborns Are Dying Lack of education No chance to decide when to get pregnant Limited access to skilled care Inadequate space at health facilities In Kenya, lack of education and awareness is a major factor in the death of mothers and newborns. Many of the mothers have no chance whatsoever to decide when to get pregnant, as family counseling is only limited to the big cities. There is also a major problem in that many of these mothers living in villages have very limited access to skilled maternal care. However, the biggest problem is there is not enough space available at the health facilities to accommodate all the mothers. In addition to the life threatening delays discussed earlier, these factors contribute to almost 26% of maternal deaths during pregnancy, 26% of maternal deaths after delivery, and a staggering 48% of child deaths during delivery. Education on family planning can play a major role in reducing mortality rates by providing knowledge of the importance of having small families at correct intervals and the use of contraceptives.

Why Women Do Not Deliver in Facilities Ignorance Fear of being tested for HIV Poor quality of care Social-Cultural factors Poor infrastructure A major problem in Kenya with rural women is ignorance of the importance of utilizing health facilities, and/or skilled health workers during delivery and childcare. Many of them also fear being tested for HIV, as this is a stigma in many communities. Due to lack of resources, the limited health facilities that are available to these communities may have very poor quality of care. Therefore, most women still deliver at their homesteads in their villages by in-experienced or unqualified mid-wives with very basic traditional tools. There are also many social and cultural factors which are a major barrier for women in many communities to deliver in health facilities. Some of the traditions in Kenyan communities dictate that a woman must burry her placenta at home immediately after birth. Other communities practice female genital mutilation (FGM) which is a major problem in Kenya. Another important factor is that, in many communities, the parents often get their girls married at a very young age, where the body of these girls are not yet developed and ready to give birth. Due to poor infrastructure of roads and access to health facilities, it is very difficult for many of these women to even make use of facilities during child birth.

What Are Lions Doing to Address High Maternal Deaths Strengthen community maternal clinics by providing equipment and personnel. Target adolescents through comprehensive sex education Promote family planning and ensure commodities are available at health facilities I am very proud to inform you that the Lions of Kenya have partnered with UNFPA and other non-governmental organizations to work in reducing maternal and child mortality. Lions are directly involved in strengthening community maternal clinics by providing them with the necessary equipment and skilled medical personnel. In communities where accessibility is a problem, the Lions are providing these communities with fully equipped mobile health units. We are targeting adolescents, especially young girls, and providing them with comprehensive sex education. Lions are also working together with health officials to promote family planning and to ensure the necessary family planning commodities are available at health facilities.

What Are Lions Doing to Address High Maternal Deaths Advocate against harmful practices Promote male involvement Promote innovation Additionally, Lions are directly involved in creating awareness and advocacy, especially against FGM and other harmful practices. We also strive to promote male involvement and innovative ways to support Maternal Health programs.

Challenges Coverage of emergency obstetric and newborn care services still low Access still hampered by structural factors As the Lions of Kenya strive to reduce maternal and child mortality, we still do have many challenges, especially in terms of resources. This program needs a lot of resources, especially to assist the newborn babies. Coverage for emergency obstetric and newborn care services is sill low and access to facilities is still hampered by structural factors. However, with our limited resources we have partially succeeded. We collectively share the responsibility. That is why we have to hold the future of the nation in our hands. We share a common destiny as human beings and the only way is to build our future together.

THE FIGHT AGAINST MATERNAL AND CHILD MORTALITY MUST BE WON. Conclusion THE FIGHT AGAINST MATERNAL AND CHILD MORTALITY MUST BE WON. “There will always be a reason why you meet people. Either you need them to change your life, or you’re the one who will change theirs.” THANK-YOU The Lions of Kenya shall not only safeguard the future of our mothers and our children, but will also strive to restore the dignity, harmony and humanity of our nation. Thank you for your patience and god bless you.