Founded | 24 January 2014 |
---|---|
Founder | Margaret Gakuo Kenyatta |
Type | Non-government organization |
Focus | Health |
Headquarters | Nairobi, Kenya |
Location | |
Area served | Kenya (47 Counties of Kenya) |
Product | Maternal and child health clinics HIV testing and counseling Fistula treatment Other health services |
Method | Free mobile clinics |
Key people | First Lady Margaret Kenyatta Patron |
Endowment | Government of Kenya |
Website | Beyond Zero Campaign homepage |
The Beyond Zero Campaign is an initiative launched by Kenya's First Lady, Margaret Gakuo Kenyatta. Its goals are to improve maternal and child health in Kenya, and to reduce new HIV infections among children. [1] The campaign was unveiled in 2013 on World AIDS Day, and launched on 24 January 2014. Many international organizations have joined Kenyatta and the Kenyan government in supporting Beyond Zero.
The campaign's first action was the donation of fully equipped mobile clinics to several counties in Kenya during the summer of 2014, beginning with Taita Taveta County. [2]
Beyond Zero has the overall goal of eliminating all preventable maternal and child deaths in Kenya by 2023. It has three primary objectives: [3]
The initiative is a component of the Office of the First Lady's 2013-2017 Strategic Framework, [4] which supports United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) #4 and #5.
The strategic framework encompasses five key areas: [1] [4]
Partners and funders have included:
The initiative is also supported by an annual half-marathon, in which Margaret Kenyatta runs. [10]
Under the initiative, there has been a reduction of HIV infections among children from 12,000 cases in 2013 to 6,600 in 2016. [11] The number of women delivering without skilled health workers dropped from 56% in 2013 to 34% in 2016. [12] Maternal deaths decreased from 6,000 to 4,000. [11]
By January 2019, Beyond Zero had donated 52 fully equipped mobile clinics to the 47 counties in Kenya. [12] Some counties received more than one clinic.
The initiative expanded its scope in 2018 under the Second Strategic Framework of the Office of the First Lady (2018-2022) [12] [13] to add the following goals:
Beyond Zero has been criticized for under-funding its mobile clinics, leading to a shortage of personnel and basic supplies. [20] There have been allegations of corruption in the awarding of prizes at the annual half-marathon. [21] [22]
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies and protocols, increasing access to birth control, and leading campaigns against child marriage, gender-based violence, obstetric fistula, and female genital mutilation.
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Fistula Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization focused on treatment of obstetric fistula, funding more repair surgeries than any other organization, public or private. As of February 2021, they support hospitals and doctors in over 20 countries across Africa and Asia. The foundation is dedicated to treating obstetric fistula by covering the full cost of fistula repair surgery for poor women who would otherwise not be able to access treatment. They also provide fistula surgeon training, equipment and facility upgrades that make fistula treatment as safe as possible, post-surgery counseling and support for healed patients. The foundation has been recognized by several organizations for its transparency, effectiveness and efficiency, earning a top "A" rating from Charity Watch and a four star rating from Charity Navigator for 15 years in a row, placing it in the top 1% of charities reviewed on the site. The foundation has also been selected as one of 22 charities recommended by Princeton Professor Peter Singer's organization, The Life You Can Save. The organization's cost-effectiveness was also noted by GiveWell in 2019.
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