Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project
Since 2015, Shionogi has worked with World Vision, an international cooperation NGO, to reduce the child and maternal mortality of Kenya.
This project is operated with donations from Shionogi and employees (Shionogi Social Contribution Support Association “Socie”).
As COVID-19’s far-reaching influence continues to impact the international community, access to healthcare has become increasing difficult in developing countries.
The maternal mortality rate in the Republic of Kenya is 68 times higher than in Japan,* and the mortality rate for children under five is 22 times higher than that in Japan,* an indication of the persistent and significant challenges standing in the way of achieving SDGs Target 3, requiring concrete action to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
To build a sustainable society, it is necessary to create a favorable environment for the next generation of children to grow healthy.
The Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project aims to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by protecting mothers and children from preventable mortality and strengthening healthcare services systems.
* The State of the World's Children 2021 On My Mind: Promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health.(UNICEF)
Project concept
![From Japan to Africa, connectiong mothers through health [Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project]](/content/dam/shionogi/global/sustainability/society/social-contribution-activities/mtom/images/healthcare-systems-concept_en.jpg)
Origin of “Mother to Mother”
The Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project began with the thought of a Shionogi employee who took a leave of absence from the company and was assigned to Kenya in 2009 as a member of the AIDS countermeasures program of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
“I would like to help Kenyan mothers who are sincere about receiving AIDS treatment for the sake of their children.”
In Kenya, there were people who went to the hospital to continue to receive proper treatment for AIDS.
Many of them were women with children.
They have to protect their children and families.
To this end, they have to deal with their own health problems.
Mothers who were sincere about receiving treatment were always in front of me.
“I found that medicine that was simply provided was not reaching the people who needed it.”
When I was in Japan, I thought that if we provided medicine free of charge, it would be delivered to people who needed it and help save their lives.
However, when I actually went to Africa, I found that medicine that was simply provided was not reaching the people who needed it.
I returned to Japan feeling discouraged.
Feeling distressed that I couldn’t do anything about it at the time, I kept thinking about a solution to the problem. I finally arrived at the idea that I would take advantage of the power of Shionogi, a pharmaceutical company that has been striving infectious diseases for a long time.
The number of people who sympathize with my idea has increased in Shionogi. Then, we launch a maternal and child health support project in partnership with the international NGO World Vision.
Challenges in sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa still sees 78 under-5 mortality per 1,000 live births and 533 maternal mortality per 100,000 live births, with a huge difference from the relevant targets set in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (“less than 25” and “at least as low as 70,” respectively*2).
- ※1unicef THE STATE OF WORLD’S CHILDREN 2019 Children, food and nutrition
- ※2Targets 3.1 and 3.2 in the SDGs
- ※3Child Mortality Report 2019
It is necessary to improve the environment for pregnancy and childbirth and to tackle the problem of infectious diseases in children
« Issues affecting maternal and child health in Kenya »
Despite its huge land area, Kenya has only a very small number of medical facilities. Many local people have only limited access to medical services due to a shortage of medical professionals, a lack of knowledge about health and nutrition, and gender inequality.
They also face limited access to safe and clean water and resulting problems, including a high prevalence of diarrhea.
To solve these issues, we have been implementing two maternal and child health support projects in Narok and Kilifi Counties in Kenya. For details, visit the web pages on the two respective projects.
Outline of two maternal and child health support projects
| First Term Project | Second Term Project | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Ilaramatak, Osupuko Division, Narok County | Bamba and Jaribuni, Ganze Sub-County, Kilifi County |
| Term | April 2015 to September 2020 (Five years) October 2020 to July 2021 (Extended due to COVID-19) |
April 2020 to March 2023 (three years) In collaboration with Panasonic Holdings Corporation |
| No. of target facilities | 1 | 3 |
| No. of beneficiaries | 14,612 in total | 77,506 in total |
| Direct beneficiaries: 5,947 Indirect beneficiaries: 8,665 |
Direct beneficiaries: 28,196 Indirect beneficiaries: 49,310 |
|
| Budget | 106.15 million yen | 180 million yen |
Project vision and three pillars of activities
Vision
To develop sustainable community for the well-being of mothers and children.
Project Goal
Pregnant and lactating women and children under 5 years of age have improved maternal and child health
Three pillars of activities
This project aims not only to improve the environment for pregnancy and childbirth but also to enable local people to manage their own health by educating the local communities, helping local health professionals in capacity development, improving the water hygiene environment, and conducting advocacy activities focusing on government.
Improve access to maternal and child health services for expectant and breastfeeding mothers and children under five
- Build health facilities
- Strengthen the capacity of health professionals
- Provide mobile clinic services
Build community-based systems for improving people’s nutritional and water hygiene habits
- Build water supply facilities
- Provide nutrition and hygiene education
- Implement nutrition programs
- Teaching appropriate hygiene knowledge and practices in schools and communities.
Enhance health system* management
- Promote the participation of local residents in addressing health service issues
- Facilitate the partnership between the communities and government officials
- Enhance monitoring and assessment
- Health professionals provide continuous awareness-raising education to the community
- Local residents access medical services and understand the significance of health services
- Good nutritional and water hygiene behaviors have become habits for local people
- Local residents take the initiative in improving health services
- The government and its partners collaborate to monitor the activities
Project Goal
Pregnant and lactating women and children under 5 years of age have improved maternal and child health
Project Goal
Establishment of sustainable community health systems
Project Vision
To develop sustainable community for the well-being of mothers and children
- ※Sufficient and efficient health professionals; medical supplies; financial resources for health services; leadership and governance; and provision of health services and a health management information system
(WHO’s Framework for Action, Geneva, 2007)
