The Half Marathon is being organised by Kenya’s First Lady to raise awareness and galvanise support towards combating maternal and childhood mortality/FILE
The Half Marathon is being organised by Kenya’s First Lady to raise awareness and galvanise support towards combating maternal and childhood mortality.
Over 5,500 women in Kenya die annually due to pregnancy and birth-related complications and in 2012 alone, over 100,000 children died before their first birthday.
In the same year, there were over 13,000 new HIV infections among children, of whom 62 percent did not access life-saving medication.
After the Half Marathon, the First Lady will participate in the 2014 London Marathon to raise more awareness.
Presenting the donation at State House, Nairobi, Co-operative Bank, Group Managing Director, Gideon Muriuki commended the First Lady for her passionate effort and desire to make a difference in the lives of our people.
“Only a mother can fully understand the challenges our women go through every day as they struggle with the challenges of maternal healthcare and the pain of losing children for things that can be avoided if we work together,” he said.
“Our contribution will go towards the purchase of mobile clinics that will go a long towards the provision of medical services at the grass-root, where Kenyans need it most. We request and appeal to other corporate institutions and Kenyans of good will to join hands with the First Lady and create a women’s movement around wellness and the importance of healthy living.”
The Half-marathon will take place on the March 9 at the KICC while the 2014 London Marathon will take place on April 13, 2014.
Co-operative Bank will send a team to the Half Marathon in Nairobi.
