VITAMIN ANGELS AND MAKUENI COUNTY FLAG OFF PRENATAL MULTIVITAMIN DISTRIBUTION TO 13 COUNTY HEALTH FACILITIES, ADVANCING MATERNAL HEALTH IN KENYA

The initiative is expected to reach approximately 7,200 pregnant women by the end of 2026 through 13 public health facilities across Makueni County.

MAKUENI COUNTY, Kenya, June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, Vitamin Angels and the Makueni County Government flagged off a consignment of multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS), also known as prenatal multivitamins, for distribution across 13 public health facilities throughout Makueni County. Through the Transforming Lives Through Nutrition Consortium, funded by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the initiative is expected to reach approximately 7,200 pregnant women by the end of 2026. The rollout will follow a phased approach, expanding to additional facilities beginning in 2027 and scaling county-wide to all 242 health facilities by 2028, positioning Makueni County as a leader in expanding access to evidence-based maternal nutrition interventions in Kenya.

Held at Makueni County Mother and Child Hospital, the launch convened county leaders, healthcare workers, and partners to mark the next phase of Makueni County's maternal nutrition strategy. The event included health facility visits, engagement with frontline healthcare providers at both facility and community levels, pregnant women and community members, and the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Makueni County and Vitamin Angels, reinforcing a shared commitment to expanding access to maternal nutrition services, training healthcare workers and community health promoters, strengthening supply chains, and improving the quality of antenatal care for women and children.  

"There is strong evidence that MMS reduces the risk of low birthweight, preterm birth, small-for-gestational-age births, stillbirth, and infant mortality compared with iron and folic acid supplementation alone," said Ana Céspedes, CEO of Vitamin Angels. "What makes this achievement especially remarkable is the speed with which it has moved from vision to implementation. In less than 18 months, Makueni County has shown how bold leadership, strong partnerships, and a commitment to evidence-based solutions can successfully bring proven maternal nutrition interventions to scale, improving health outcomes for women and giving babies a healthier start in life."

Makueni County is located in Kenya's arid and semi-arid region and faces some of the country's most significant maternal and child nutrition challenges. The county has made maternal and child nutrition a priority and has demonstrated strong leadership in adopting evidence-based approaches to improve the health of women and children. As part of the MMS rollout, more than 230 healthcare workers and community health promoters have already received training and support to strengthen maternal nutrition counseling, improve adherence to supplementation, and enhance antenatal care services across participating facilities.

Over the coming years, the initiative will track key indicators including MMS uptake and adherence, healthcare worker readiness, and maternal and newborn health outcomes to help inform future expansion efforts in Kenya.

"This launch represents an agile and innovative way of collaborating between county leaders, healthcare providers, and community health promoters. We have formed one integrated team united by one goal: to ensure MMS is fully integrated into routine antenatal care across Makueni County," said Lucy Kanya, Africa Regional Technical Director at Vitamin Angels. "From training healthcare workers and community health promoters to strengthening nutrition counseling and ensuring supplements reach facilities consistently, this effort is helping build a stronger maternal health platform that can improve outcomes for women and babies for years to come."

"Integrating MMS into antenatal care services across our health facilities reflects Makueni County's commitment to improving maternal and newborn health outcomes," said H.E. Mutula Kilonzo Jr., Governor of Makueni County. "We are proud to be leading the way in expanding access to evidence-based maternal nutrition interventions through our public health system. This initiative will help bring essential nutrition services closer to the women and families across Makueni County who need them most and contribute to healthier pregnancies, healthier babies, and healthier communities."

Vitamin Angels has worked in Kenya for more than a decade to support maternal and child nutrition programs and continues to partner with governments and local organizations to strengthen sustainable health systems and expand access to proven nutrition interventions for women and children. To learn more about Vitamin Angels' maternal nutrition work, visit: https://vitaminangels.org/our-work/interventions/prenatal-vitamins-and-minerals/  

ABOUT VITAMIN ANGELS
Founded in 1994, Vitamin Angels is a global health nonprofit committed to improving the nutrition and health of underserved women and children. The organization works through an extensive network of partners—including governments—by strengthening, extending, and amplifying their impact to reach the most nutritionally vulnerable groups: pregnant women, infants, and young children in low-resource settings globally. Through proven maternal and child nutrition solutions, research, technical assistance, and advocacy, Vitamin Angels impacts the lives of 74 million women and children in approximately 65 countries, including in all 50 US states, each year. Earning the highest marks for financial transparency from both Charity Navigator and GuideStar, Vitamin Angels envisions a world where everyone, everywhere, has a chance to fulfill their potential. To learn more, visit vitaminangels.org.

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