A Non-Governmental Organisation in Migori County has been implementing the Non-pneumatic Anti-shock Garment (NASG), an innovative mechanism for preventing Post-partum hemorrhage (PPH) among women.
Post-partum hemorrhage is the leading direct cause of maternal deaths in the country and according to the NGO- Lwala Community Alliance Official Carren Siele they have been supporting the innovation in Migori to help reduce the maternal deaths.
Siele said since the inception of innovation in 2018, they have been able to distribute 985 NASG to both public and private health facilities in the county.
She said the garment was saving lives by preventing Post-Partum Hemorrhage (PPH), a condition of severe bleeding after childbirth.
According to the 2020 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on postpartum hemorrhage 34 per cent of maternal deaths in Kenya were caused by PPH.
Siele acknowledged that the majority of women in rural Kenya particularly in areas where the nearest health facility with comprehensive obstetric care was far were dying of preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.
NASG innovation that was introduced by Lwala NGO in 2018 with the support of California University is a fit-for-purpose emergency device that can save women’s lives by reducing blood loss and stabilizing the patient until treatment is available.
Siele noted that NASG was also a low cost technology and a first aid mechanism that is meant to support and prevent PPH in women during emergencies.
“The NASG is a cost effective innovation that can save women in a remote dispensary during an emergency as they await for medical intervention. The beauty of it is that one NASG can be used several times to support women with PPH,” explained Siele.
The NGO has so far trained health professionals from 214 primary health facilities across the county on how to use NASG. Some 322 Trainers of Trainers (ToTs) and 3,307 healthcare providers have also been trained and supported on how to implement the project through mentorship programmes.
Siele claimed that the innovation has seen a 38 per cent reduction in mortality rate among women with Post-partum hemorrhage (PPH) condition.
She said the NGO will be taking the innovation to more counties including Kilifi and Homa Bay to help in the reduction of maternal deaths.
She affirmed that the NGO will continue to use platforms like Lake Region Economic Block (LREB) to reach more women.
By Geoffrey Makokha
