To reduce the mortality and morbidity and improve human development outcomes for low-birth-weight (LBW) and preterm infants in Cameroon we worked with World Vision Canada. The project’s goal was to increase the access to Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) for Cameroonian mothers and integrate KMC quality into Cameroon’s public healthcare system through hospitals nationwide.
Country
Cameroon
Timeline
2015-2018
Type of Project
RBF Design or Implementation
Sector
Health
Project
Partners
project description
Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is a cost-effective, evidence-based intervention intended to help save and care for infants by administering continuous skin-to-skin contact, frequent and exclusive (or near-exclusive) breastfeeding, and early discharge from hospitals.
– There are nearly 23,000 neonatal deaths each year in Cameroon.
– Almost 1 out of 2 low-birth-weight (LBW) and preterm infant dies after birth
– LBW is associated with cardiovascular diseases and other health issues in later life with negatively impact long-term human capital development
A review of 21 studies including 3,042 infants has found that, at discharge or at 40 to 41 weeks postmenstrual age, KMC was associated with a statistically significant reduction in neonatal mortality rate (from 40% to 60%), as well as a reduction in morbidity.
Instiglio designed a Development Impact Bond (DIB) in Cameroon to help increase access to quality KMC. The Development Impact Bond’s objective in the long-term was to integrate quality KMC into Cameroon’s public healthcare system through hospitals nationwide. Instiglio advised World Vision Canada on the opportunity to invest on the Development Impact Bond as part of the due diligence process. In addition, Instiglio worked on building the capacity of World Vision Canada to assess the suitability of future DIB investments by providing frameworks and training the team.
The key stakeholders involved in this DIB were:
Outcome funders:
- Grand Challenge Canada,
- GFF Trust Fund (with a contribution from the Cameroon Government)
- Nutrition International.
Service providers:
- Kangaroo Foundation Colombia
- Kangaroo Foundation Cameroon.
The DIB is being structured by Social Finance UK and the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing. World Vision Canada was considering being the investor in the Development Impact Bond, but eventually decided not to invest in the DIB for internal reasons unrelated to the due diligence process.
This Development Impact Bond was going to be the first one on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, a topic on which other results-based financing instruments have been used with success. Its objective was to test the delivery of the KMC intervention at scale in Cameroon, as this evidence-based intervention has never been brought to scale in this manner.
