Health Care Work Wins Beyond Zero Award

Award winners celebrate with the First Lady

Pamela Jepleting Maritim, a health care worker from a USAID AMPATH Uzima-supported facility, won an award at the 2021 Beyond Zero Health Awards during the Beyond Zero summit held on 3rd December 2021. The award recognizes and honors nurses and midwives for their crucial role in the promotion of primary healthcare in Government-run level 2 and 3 health facilities. The First Lady, Margaret Kenyatta, presented the awards to individuals as well as outstanding initiatives or projects led by nurses in levels 2 to 5 Government health facilities from each of the 47 Counties.

Pamela, who is stationed at the Kapsoya Health Center in Uasin Gishu County, won the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) award. Since its inception 4 years ago, the facility has not had any of the 87 HIV-exposed infants (HEI) turn positive. In her own words, she feels that they have actually achieved the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCTC). Pamela was posted to the Kapsoya clinic in 2013 and realized that the expectant women who tested positive would be lost to follow-up, or default in taking their medication and end up transmitting HIV to their infants.

In September 2017, USAID AMPATH Uzima (then AMPATHPlus) supported the Kapsoya facility to be a fully-fledged PMTCT site. Two years, later the mothers with HIV who had graduated from PMTCT services declined to have a transfer out and together with their spouses lobbied for a Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC) to be set at the clinic. Pamela and her team have done a tremendous job despite the challenges they have had in the journey. Currently, their biggest challenge is space availability, as the facility shares space to serve an average of 150 general patients a day, the PMTCT clinic, as well as the CCC.

The clinic also offers adolescent-friendly services for pregnant teens. USAID AMPATH Uzima has provided support for HIV care and treatment in the facility, as well as mentorship for the County health workers serving the facility. The program provides a phone and facilitates a mentor mother to track patients missing their appointments. The theme of this year’s summit was increasing the investments for primary health care. This is the second summit held under the aegis of the Beyond Zero Initiative. The event gave recognition to nurses who play a critical role in health service delivery at the grassroots level and the Beyond Zero Health Awards are meant to motivate the health providers to serve their communities even better.

Award winners on stage with First Lady Margaret Kenyatta.