Research & Practice
Launching the Mother-Baby Friendly Initiative Plus to Improve Nutrition for Small, Vulnerable Newborns in Nairobi County, Kenya
An estimated 2.3 million newborns die every year during the first 28 days of life, accounting for nearly half of all deaths of children under five. The provision of human milk can have the most significant impact of all potential interventions to improve outcomes for small, vulnerable newborns (SVN). The WHO recommends that all infants, especially SVNs, should be fed their mother’s own milk or donor human milk when their mother’s milk is unavailable. To operationalize these recommendations in low-resource contexts, PATH developed the Mother-Baby Friendly Initiative Plus (MBFI+), which aims to rework the health care system to ensure the provision of human milk for SVNs during their hospital stay and upon discharge.
PATH is implementing the MBFI+ at three hospitals in Nairobi County, Kenya. This practicum supported the team to ensure a successful project start-up through developing a suite of external-facing communication materials and a comprehensive work plan.
The communication deliverables include an originally designed project graphic, a project overview slide deck template, and an external-facing two-page project summary. All communication materials underwent extensive revision and were iterated to incorporate team feedback. The work plan deliverables include an interactive 4-sheet Gantt chart detailing work plan activities and the timeframe for completion.
The start-up materials will be used throughout the project duration to onboard partners, disseminate learnings, and ensure all activities are achieved in a timely manner. These practicum deliverables contribute to ensuring PATH’s leadership in the successful implementation of the MBFI+ in Nairobi County.
Materials Available
Project Type(s): MPH Practicum, PH Concentration Poster
Author(s): Hannah Sanders
Program(s): Master of Public Health, RDN Training
Year: 2024
Adviser(s):