In a concerted effort to combat the high maternal mortality rate in the country, Britam, in collaboration with Financial Sector Deepening Africa and Jacaranda Health, has launched the Lea Mama system. This Value Based Healthcare system aims to support expectant women from the time they discover their pregnancy up to six months post-birth.
During the launch, Britam Group CEO Tom Gitogo emphasized the pressing need to address the challenges facing maternal and neonatal healthcare in Kenya.
He stated, “Through the Britam Lea Mama initiative, we are committed to providing comprehensive support to pregnant women and newborns, ensuring they receive the care they need to thrive.”
The Lea Mama program encompasses several services, including prenatal care, skilled birth attendance, postnatal care, and newborn care. Gitogo outlined the program’s three main pillars: acting as a companion through pregnancy, offering prenatal and postnatal care tailored to the mother’s risk level, and providing value-added services and rewards such as transportation to the hospital and telehealth support.
A key component of the program is PROMPTS, an AI-enabled digital health service developed by Jacaranda Health. PROMPTS facilitates two-way SMS exchanges to empower pregnant women to seek timely and appropriate care. By tracking the pregnancy stage, tailored SMS messages encourage proactive care-seeking behaviors. Additionally, an AI-enabled helpdesk service is available to address inquiries and initiate rapid referrals for high-risk conditions.
To ensure the initiative’s success, Lea Mama will collect data on maternal and neonatal health indicators to track progress and make data-driven decisions. Healthcare providers will undergo extensive training sessions focusing on labor management, emergency recognition, and patient communication. Continuous monitoring of clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction will be conducted to assess the program’s impact.
FSD Kenya CEO Tamara Cook emphasized the significance of this collaborative effort in achieving sustainable improvements in maternal and neonatal health outcomes. The initiative responds to the pressing need highlighted by recent statistics, aiming to meet the Sustainable Development Goals targets for maternal and neonatal mortality rates by 2030.
