UNICEF’s target for neonatal mortality rate (NMR) is 12 per 1000 live births [1], however, in Kenya the neonatal mortality rate has remained significantly high at 21 deaths per 1,000 live births [2]. The Child  Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) identified key causes of neonatal deaths related to complications of intrapartum events, complications of prematurity, infections and respiratory disorders with recommendations for preventability most often including improved clinical management and quality of care for neonates (49%), improved antenatal and obstetric care and management (49%) and improved infection prevention and control (27%) [3] . These findings necessitated a collaborative effort between the Siaya County Department and CHAMPS Kenya to implement targeted interventions and reduce neonatal deaths.

The implementation was pegged to three main strategies based on CHAMPS findings: (1) Kangaroo mother care (KMC), which promoted skin-to-skin contact between mothers and preterm or low birth weight infants to regulate temperature, enhance breastfeeding and improve survival rates; (2) Enhanced emergency obstetric care (EmOC), which involved training healthcare workers (HCWs) to manage obstetric emergencies more effectively, ensuring timely and adequate care for mothers and newborns; and (3) Training on emergency triage, assessment, and treatment (ETAT), which provided HCWs with specialized training to improve the initial assessment and treatment of emergency cases, enhancing the overall quality of neonatal care. Additionally, health providers from maternity and newborn units developed work improvement teams, identified specific quality of care (QoC) gaps, and action plans for addressing those gaps.

The outcomes were a reduction in neonatal deaths, with infants receiving KMC showing improved survival rates; enhanced HCWs skills through EmOC and ETAT training, leading to better neonatal outcomes; and increased awareness and acceptance of KMC and the importance of timely obstetric and neonatal care by the mothers. These simple but effective interventions have the potential for scale-up in similar settings.

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Reducing Neonatal Mortality by promoting Kangaroo Mother Care