Ponya Mtoto Project

The project on Scaling up Possible Serious Bacterial Infection (PSBI) Guidelines in Kenya by Building Confidence in the Management of Sepsis in Young Infants (Ponya Mtoto) was undertaken by a consortium comprising Keprecon, Ministry of Health, Population Council, Mount Kenya University and Fountain Africa Trust. With funding from USAID, Ponya Mtoto project activities were implemented between October 2017 and June 2021 in Turkana, Bungoma, Kilifi and Mombasa counties.

These counties were selected since they had higher infant and newborn mortality rates than the national average. The goal of this implementation research (IR) project was to contribute to reduction in deaths of young infants from possible severe bacterial infection by building the capacity, skills and confidence of frontline health providers to successfully manage sick young infants at dispensary and health centre levels where referral is not feasible in the context of integrated management of newborn and childhood illnesses (IMNCI).

Through this project, the Newborn and Child Health Strategy 2021-2025 as well as the national IMNCI guidelines were revised to incorporate the management of PSBI component. IMNCI/PSBI job aids, management flow charts, IEC materials (pamphlets) for health providers and caregivers, and policy briefs were developed, disseminated and are being utilized in health facilities across the country. Newborn registers and Under-5 reporting tools were revised to include IMNCI/PSBI indicators and the same are in use in health facilities and District Health Information System (DHIS2). Health provider capacity and confidence to identify, classify and treat sick infants with PSBI was appropriately increased through CME and CPD sessions and the Kenya Community of Practice (KCOP) accessible through the Keprecon website.