In not less than 250 words. You are expected to critically evaluate and challenge the ideas of your classmate to help them develop better and more sustainable programming. References in APA.

The United Nations established the fifth Millennium Development Goal in 2000 to substantially reduce maternal mortality by 2015, but many sub-Saharan African countries have not seen any significant changes towards meeting this goal.

1 Kenya is no exception, and this country, especially rural areas like the Asembo region in western Kenya, experiences high maternal and infant mortality rates.

Many of the leading causes of maternal mortality include severe bleeding, obstructed labor, infection, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, malaria, anemia, and unsafe abortion.

2 Many women in rural area receive very limited antenatal care, due reasons such as lack of transport, inability to pay for such services, and lack of clinics/healthcare professionals to provide care.

3 On top of that, many women do not deliver under the supervision of a healthcare professional.4

Children born in Kenya are also plagued from various diseases ranging from malaria to upper respiratory infections to HIV/AIDS. The mother's health is tied closely to her infant's and child's health, and the same barriers that affect maternal mortality also apply to infant/child mortality.

5.A horizontal program that focused on the recruitment of community healthcare workers and increasing maternal and child healthcare coverage would be the best way to address the high maternal and child mortality rates in the Asembo region. This program would focus on three main things: education, prevention, and improved documentation.

One study conducted in Asembo Bay found that some of the barriers to women accessing maternity care included fears of HIV testing, gender inequalities, and negative perceptions of facility-based care.

6 Out of the million of women who die each year, one-third die from pregnancy-related conditions and at least 75% of those deaths are avoidable.1 A cross-sectional WHO Global Survey on Maternal and Perinatal Health found that women without education had a 2.7 times more likely risk of maternal mortality compared to women with greater than 12 years of education and that this increased risk carried over even when women gave birth in health care institutions.1

Educational programs taught by community healthcare workers could decrease maternal mortality by increasing the capacity of these women to understand basic health information such as good prenatal care, greater autonomy in deciding how many children they will have, what reproductive services are available, nutritional needs during pregnancy, and greater access to health care.1 In terms of infant/children health, these programs could also educate parents in preventing infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and malaria and identifying symptoms of the most common childhood illnesses such as those in an upper respiratory infection.

In terms of prevention, many rural regions like Asembo lack quality healthcare due to insufficient resources and/or lack of healthcare centers and medical professionals.

7 By investing in general health clinics that emphasize vaccinations, nutritional importance, and reproductive health, the government could see a return through decreasing maternal and infant/child mortality.

Finally, improved documentation through electronic medical records or a Maternal and Child Health Booklet can help with continuity of care and surveillance of both a mother's and child's health.8