In the dusty plains of Olasiti in Narok East Sub-County, men have gathered for what appears to be a cultural event.
They are decked out in Maasai regalia replete with colour and variety, and they are eating some meat as they talk to the meeting’s conveners.
But this is not a cultural event. They are at a church, and the people they are engaged in conversation with are Community Health Promoters (CHPs).
What is actually happening is a training session on family planning and other health-related matters. The session, which takes place once in three months, was necessitated by the need to involve men in improving maternal health outcomes in Narok East through the Uzazi Salama Programme.
“We used to meet women only to discuss reproductive health issues. Despite our efforts, we realised that it is the men who largely determine where their wives or partners give birth and have the final say on family planning. We shifted our attention to them being that they are the final decision-makers, and we are seeing a positive change in their attitudes towards family planning and health care,” said Dolly Odembo, the Sub-County Reproductive Health Coordinator in Narok East.
She adds that the dialogues are a good strategy for men to make resources, such as transportation, available to women, enabling them to access hospitals.
The sessions dubbed “Male Dialogues” are changing the conversation on how men approach reproductive health.
For Dolly, these sessions have played a part in increasing the number of deliveries at hospitals as opposed to homes, which has improved maternal health outcomes in the sub-county. This assertion is backed by John Kutna, Programme Manager at AMREF.
“Narok East had poor maternal health indicators, in fact it was the last among the eight Sub-Counties before we launched Uzazi Salama in 2023. Currently, we are third-last which indicates that our efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality are starting to bear fruit when we see safe deliveries in hospitals,” said Mr. Kutna.
The dialogues have indeed played their part in this positive development with the family planning aspect putting the health of women first.
Isaac Nadwakila, an Olasiti resident who has been ardently attending the training sessions, says the dialogues have debunked misinformation about maternal health.
“We learned that family planning is about spacing. We were advised to take up to two to three years so that our wives’ wombs can have time to heal. We initially thought that we were being restricted from having children but after attending the sessions, we were told we can have as many children as we can, as long as we can take care of them and prioritise the mother’s health,” said Nadwakila.
Male involvement has not only been a welcome development but a necessity in Narok East Sub-County. As the community is finding out, men’s role is significant in reducing maternal and infant mortality one conversation at a time.
Watch the video below to learn more about this unique approach to improving outcomes for maternal health.
