Kenya has made substantial progress in child survival over the past decade.
1 However, a neonatal death rate
of 22 deaths per 1,000 live births,
1
an estimated 40,000 annual deaths in the first month of life,
2 mainly due
to high prematurity rate (12.3%)3
and low birth weight (LBW) rate (8%)4
is reported. This indicates that
Kenya runs the risk of not achieving the Every Newborn Action Plan’s goal of a neonatal mortality rate
below 10 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2035,
5
signifying the urgent need to focus on a healthy start to life.
Human milk has the greatest impact on child survival, optimal breastfeeding alone has the potential to avert
an estimated 820,000 child deaths globally and improve child morbidity.6 However, despite the lifesaving
and other important benefits of human milk, some infants, the majority of whom are sick, preterm, or LBW,
have no access to their mother’s own milk due to a multitude of factors such as maternal illness, death, or
abandonment. These newborns are therefore much more likely to suffer from adverse consequences
resulting from complications that are preventable or treatable with proven and cost-effective interventions.