THE ACHILLES HEEL OF THE BEYOND ZERO CAMPAIGN-Open Letter To The First Lady

Dear Madam First Lady, Am writing this letter with a glow in my heart because of your decision to stand up for a cause. It is admirable that you took up the challenge to lobby and make possible an innovative approach to health delivery especially on a key issue like maternal health. Indeed the nation needs to do more to care for her womenfolk and give our neonates a chance to survive for us to consider ourselves truly liberated from diseases.

The idea of increased access to care is a noble goal. But the constraints are myriad and encompass geographical, financial and also institutional access constraints. Currently we are in the first year of the implementation of the free maternity service by the government. What are some of the challenges and how do we address them? Has the initiative met the intended goal and has it resulted in better care and outcomes? What can be done to strengthen the initiative? Or are we just ditching it in favour of another program. I would hope that the new Beyond Zero Campaign is anchored on the above, rather than be a competing parallel program.

The idea of mobile clinics will alleviate some of the challenges, but is its just a partial solution. A lot more needs to be done and as espoused in the Strategic Framework for the engagement of the First Lady in HIV control and promotion of maternal, newborn and child health in Kenya launched on 1st Dec 2013 which formed the basis of your engagement, local leadership and buy-in is vital. The other aspects of the new Beyond Zero Campaign is also fairly good. However the most important issue to addressed is one of finances.
Sustainability of any program is dependent on continuity of funding, affordability of the long-term program and guarantees of local acceptance and appreciation. I am saddened to see corporates falling over themselves trying to give their donations to the cause.A photo-op with The First Lady,a framed reminder of their visit to State House and the utilization of the audience as a marketing ploy for their commercial interests is all they are looking for.Am looking forward to the day you receive contributions from tobacco manufacturers and it will be a truly sad day.I pray that the commercial lobbies put their money anonymously in the Beyond Zero Account and without media attention,but again I will have to wait till kingdom come for that.Theirs is philanthropy with a flash.Unless the cameras click and mentions in the media made,the Beyond Zero might be hampered with lack of support.The private-sector support is vital but not in the form they have presented it.They will be the greatest cause of the failure of the Beyond Zero Campaign.
Therefore Madam First Lady I urge you to broaden the scope of your agenda in the Beyond Zero Campaign ensure a big picture approach to it,incorporating various other facets of  health systems thinking.

The Health budget in the country has been below the international standards as a percentage of the GDP and it the biggest culprit in the maternal health outcomes we have.If anything,I would urge you to lobby for increased government spending on Health as a percentage of GDP.(Actually its not an increase, it’s a return to the previous levels of government support for Health).Most of the other factors responsible for a working health system require sustainable funding.
You could try to engage with specialists in the various areas of health systems strengthening to come up with a viable and sustainable program.Because in its present form,Beyond Zero Campaign is just another failure in the making,a la Kazi kwa Vijana.

Lastly I do feel you should not be in a camp training for a marathon in London,but rather should be at the corridors of power to advocate for the cause you took up and which you believe in. Am sure Mr.President will appreciate your presence around him and he might just talk to treasury about the health budget since its being prepared now.