Kenya continues to lose an estimated 15 mothers and 92 newborns every day from preventable causes, highlighting persistent gaps in maternal and newborn healthcare despite progress in expanding access to services.
Lea Salama Programme
It is against this backdrop that Britam Foundation and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) are rolling out the Lea Salama Programme, an initiative aimed at improving access to life-saving care for pregnant women and newborns in Nairobi and Kwale counties.
The programme, which Britam Foundation is funding with Sh100 million over 18 months, is targeting underserved rural communities and urban informal settlements where many women still face barriers to timely and quality maternal healthcare.
Britam Foundation Executive Director Catherine Karita said the two counties were identified because of the health challenges facing vulnerable and marginalised communities.
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While Nairobi records comparatively better maternal and newborn health outcomes than many parts of the country, Karita said deep inequalities remain in low-income and densely populated communities, where women can still struggle to access quality and timely care.
In Kwale, the programme is focusing on rural and underserved areas where distance, limited access to health facilities and other barriers can prevent pregnant women from seeking skilled care.
“We are getting into rural areas and underserved places where women are not coming out to go to hospital and trying to make sure that they are able to access healthcare,” Karita said.
The programme will also strengthen the capacity of health workers to handle maternal and newborn emergencies, particularly where delays in care can mean the difference between life and death.
So far, Britam Foundation has provided 12 ultrasound machines across Nairobi and Kwale and supported capacity building for 360 health workers.
Karita said the intervention is intended to address persistent gaps in emergency obstetric and newborn services, which continue to contribute to preventable deaths.
“Mothers should not lose their lives while giving birth, and newborns should not die as soon as they are brought to life because of one or two complications that can be averted,” she said.
UNFPA is co-funding the initiative under a Memorandum of Understanding signed with Britam Foundation earlier this year.
The Lea Salama Programme is designed to expand access to maternal and newborn care in communities where the burden of preventable deaths remains high, with a focus on early detection of complications, skilled healthcare workers and stronger referral and emergency response systems.
The investment comes as Britam Foundation expands its social impact programmes.
The Foundation said it has reached more than 172,000 people and supported the creation of over 1,628 jobs in nearly two years through initiatives focusing on water access, maternal health, environmental restoration and enterprise development.
Britam Half year profit before Tax
The maternal health investment was highlighted as Britam Holdings announced strong financial results for the first half of 2026.
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The insurer’s profit before tax rose by 52 per cent to Sh3.8 billion for the six months ended June 30, compared with Sh2.5 billion during the same period last year.
Profit after tax increased by 53 per cent to Sh2.66 billion from Sh1.74 billion, while insurance revenue rose by 13.7 per cent to Sh22.4 billion from Sh19.7 billion.
Britam attributed the growth to continued expansion across its Life and General Insurance businesses, supported by its distribution and partnership networks.
“These results give us an encouraging start to our ASCEND Strategy and show that we are moving in the right direction by responding to customers’ needs and translating that into sustainable business growth,” Britam Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Tom Gitogo said.
For Nairobi and Kwale, however, the broader significance of the Lea Salama Programme will be measured beyond the financial investment.
Its success will depend on whether more pregnant women can reach health facilities in time, health workers are better equipped to respond to emergencies and preventable complications no longer result in the deaths of mothers and newborns.
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