Maseno University in partnership with Netherlands and the Health ministry will at the end of this month start a research on material health care in Kenya.
The two-year research will be carried out in five counties namely Kisumu, Kilifi, Kwale, Siaya and Kisii.
Speaking on Tuesday during the Inclusive Growth through Social Protection in maternal health programmes in Kenya (SPIKES) workshop in Kisumu, Prof Erick Nyambedha from the university said the five counties were selected because they have the Outpatient Based Approach (OBA) and free maternity services.
"Kilifi and Kisumu have OBA maternal voucher system and free maternity while Siaya, Kisii and Kwale only have free maternity health services," said Prof Nyambedha.
Maseno University acting Vice-Chancellor Prof Joseph Chacha said the university has continued to participate in various researches to promote national development.
"The university policy encourages partnerships that lead to collaborative research for purposes of influencing policy and practice. A significant portion of research within the university has aimed at generating new evidence that can enhance the existing social protection that the Kenyan government is currently implementing within the various government departments," said Prof Chacha.
"The results of this study are expected to significantly influence policy and practice within the Kenyan healthcare financing system," he said.
He noted that the free maternity services in all public health facilities have helped lower mother, child mortality rates.
“I am happy to report that preliminary reports from the available statistics show significant improvements in the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) indicators in Kenya. It is important to note that the free maternity health policy exists alongside the donor driven maternal voucher system in selected counties within the country," said the professor.
Maseno University will spearhead research on inclusive growth through social protection in maternal health programmes in Kenya in collaboration with the Swiss Tropical and Public Health at the University of Basel, the Department of Anthropology at the University of in Switzerland and Kenya’s Ministry of Health.