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"speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale",
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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to support The Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Bill (Senate Bills No.17 of 2023). As I congratulate the Mover of the Bill, the distinguished Senator, Beatrice Ogola, I am pleased to inform her that she has serious bragging rights. In fact, shame on us, who are not only doctors, but have also been in this House for many years. For all these years, the furthest we have gone is to talk about free maternal and child healthcare and funding. This was merely a scratch on the surface of the real needs of this category of Kenyans. I therefore congratulate you, Senator. Having gone through the Bill, I realise how deeply you have reflected on it and I support. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this matter is so serious, especially when you weigh in the statistics. For every 100,000 women who deliver, a whopping 530 die during childbirth. This is the national average. It is not acceptable that the counties from the so- called former Northern Frontier Districts, namely Mandera, Wajir and Turkana are leading in this category. That, a young girl can stay for nine months looking forward to getting a beautiful baby, but she not only loses the baby, but also loses her own life. In Mandera, it is as scaring as 3,800 women die at childbirth, out of every 100,000 deliveries. In Wajir, the number is 1,683, while Turkana is 1,594. This Bill seeks to speak to this, so as to right it. What is more, when those women die, they do not die alone. Some of them die with their children, and because of the challenges facing this particular age group, you find that, for every 100,000 children born in Kenya, 500 of them die. Garissa leads with 641 and Nyeri performs best. In Nyeri, only 67 children die. So, we have work to do. This is the work we are discharging as a House of legislation. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, going through this Bill, my attention was captured by Clause 6. It has listed the services for a non-pregnant woman. The Mover has included Form A on family planning services, preconception care services, and so on, up to E. However, allow me to speak to the point of family planning as a service. When I look at your beautiful grey goatee, you will remember the excessive emphasis there was on family planning when you and I were growing. This has to be thought out now because the excessive emphasis has now contributed a lot of pain in many countries in Europe and America to the extent that populations are now at risk. Application of family planning is not without negative impact in this country. I visited a The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}