A Health Navigation Model to Strengthen Maternal and Newborn Emergency Care in Hard to Reach Island Communities of Lake Victoria, Kenya

Many Kenyans have not heard of Mfangano, the largest island in Lake Victoria (26,000 people). Fewer have taken the 2-hr boat ride to reach our shores. Just 85km from Kisumu, we are isolated from mainland Kenya’s rapid growth in infrastructure and health improvement. Less than 50% of mothers receive adequate antenatal care and fewer deliver with skilled attendants. Emergencies leave families unprepared to navigate a fragmented system in an isolated region, too often leading to deadly delays.