Saving Lives Through Early Antenatal Care:

Meet Mary a 20 year old young woman from Mpamantha, Mary was visited by

Njira Impact’s Community Health Worker through home visits session, CHWs

discovered that they met a first-time expectant mother who was five months

pregnant and had not yet attended any antenatal care (ANC), Like many women

in her community, Mary believed that seeking care later in pregnancy was

sufficient and saw no need to visit the clinic early. Recognizing the risks, the

Community Health Worker, together with the Community Nurse, spent time

counseling her on the importance of early ANC.

The team’s consistent encouragement finally convinced Mary to attend her first

ANC visit. The nurse conducted a comprehensive assessment and discovered

that Mary had high blood pressure, putting her at risk of developing preeclampsia,

a potentially life-threatening condition. The medical team acted

promptly, initiating treatment, providing medication, and scheduling regular

follow-up visits to monitor her progress closely.With continued monitoring and support from both the clinic and Njira Impact’s field team, Mary’s condition gradually stabilized. She adhered to the treatment plan, attended all her appointments, and maintained healthy habits throughout

the remainder of her pregnancy.

4 months later, she safely delivered a healthy baby at the health facility under

the supervision of skilled birth attendants.Reflecting on her journey, Mary

expressed deep gratitude to the Njira Impact team and health workers for their

persistence and care. “I didn’t know early clinic visits could save my life and my

baby’s,” she said. “The health workers encouraged me and never gave up on

me.”