Sharing is Caring: Kenya's Only Breast Milk Bank Expresses Care for Vulnerable Newborns

Improving the way people parent might seem an impossible challenge, given the competing views about what constitutes good parenting - can we influence a behavior that is rooted in upbringing and culture, affected by stress, and occurs mainly in private? Triple P – Positive Parenting Program works to educate parents on how to improve their parenting skills.

The United States has the highest mother mortality rates of any developed country. Through a clinic on wheels, Merck for Mothers is giving prenatal check-ups to low-income pregnant women in Philadelphia and curbing deaths related to childbirth.

In South Carolina, a Medicaid program is offering long-acting contraceptives during a new mother’s hospital stay, while she is still eligible for the benefit. Other states are following suit.

In some D.C. neighborhoods with high rates of teen pregnancy, schools are stepping in with more than just school nurses; dedicated midwives have conversations with students, educating students, providing birth control, and supporting teens who have had children and continued with high school. The informal advice and constant presence in schools mean the midwives can reach students who might not have reached out otherwise, ultimately helping to prevent teen pregnancies and build healthier families.

Some urban planners argue that urban spaces should be designed around children because that makes a livable, walkable space for everyone, and also contributes to healthy early brain development. Several initiatives are underway in and around Johannesburg, South Africa to redesign public spaces and make them more welcoming. At least one community group is working with children, teenagers and people who work with children to identify places that could be improved for better child protection.

A school in Tel Aviv welcomes immigrant and refugee children with open arms, providing language classes, long school days, extracurricular activities, and more. Members of the community volunteer to tutor and lead after-school courses, allowing children to learn while their parents work late. Now, more schools are popping up in Tel Aviv with similar aspirations.

In India, the construction industry is the second largest employer. Without the ability to pay for child care, mothers are often forced to bring young children to construction sites. Mobile Crèches has started to set up child care facilities on-site, providing relief to parents and a safe education for students.

Mozambique has a shortage of practicing surgeons, so medical technicians are being trained to fill their roles in various situations, especially in rural locations. Although there are challenges to using this tactic, the technicians-turned-surgeons have similar complication rates as those who are practicing surgeons.

Two regions within Kenya, Mandera and Isiolo, have made significant strides in reducing their rate of maternal mortality cases. Both counties employed similar tactics, such as improving facility quality, increasing the number of healthcare workers, and training local community volunteers to advocate for ante-natal care. Among other metrics, Mandera now records 588 deaths per 100,000 live births (down from 3,795), and Isiolo now has 57 facilities (up from 47) to make healthcare more accessible.

More than half of the almost 70 million people who have migrated across borders or been forcibly displaced are children. The Lego Foundation and Sesame Workshop are teaming up with organizations in the countries surrounding Syria to offer play-based learning programs that teach resilience and respect of differences for refugee children six years old and younger.