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The platform has had over 190,000 users — both men and women — contact askNivi for information in Kenya. Kahumbura believes there’s a demand for this information and that Nivi is filling a gap in the country’s health care system while contributing to a possible reduction in maternal mortality rates by helping more women access modern contraceptives — something the country’s first lady, Margaret Gakuo Kenyatta, is also passionate about, having launched the Beyond Zero Campaign in 2014, which aims to improve maternal and child health in Kenya.

“It's about empowering [women] to be able to take control of their future and not having unwanted pregnancies,”

said Kahumbura, explaining that the interaction isn’t a one-time engagement but designed to be a journey that askNivi takes with users throughout the various stages of their lives.


The project has already been scaled to India this year with hopes to expand into other countries in the future.


Other innovative solutions that have helped the country increase the contraceptive prevalence rate include CycleBeads — an app that teaches women about their fertile windows, reminds them of their period dates, and provides information about contraceptives — and Future Fab — a brand created by IDEO and Marie Stopes International that uses events and an online magazine to tackle the stigma teenagers face when wanting to access birth control.


The ability to garner so much investment in the area of maternal health and sexual and reproductive rights, in the form of some of these PPPs, is an achievement, said Chatterjee, explaining that between 2014 and 2016, the U.N. — together with the Kenyan government and private sector — had mobilized $15 million.


“This demonstrates what partnerships can do, demonstrates what the right public policy can do, but most importantly it demonstrates that when you have political wealth, when the leadership of the country says this is an issue we need to deal with, it galvanizes not just nationally, but globally.”


Warning of the obstacles that lie ahead, Chatterjee added that it is important to persevere and be tenacious. “I believe that the future of public health will be defined by sexual reproductive health and rights … Without that, it’s not going to happen.”

said Kahumbura, explaining that the interaction isn’t a one-time engagement but designed to be a journey that askNivi takes with users throughout the various stages of their lives.


The project has already been scaled to India this year with hopes to expand into other countries in the future.


Other innovative solutions that have helped the country increase the contraceptive prevalence rate include CycleBeads — an app that teaches women about their fertile windows, reminds them of their period dates, and provides information about contraceptives — and Future Fab — a brand created by IDEO and Marie Stopes International that uses events and an online magazine to tackle the stigma teenagers face when wanting to access birth control.


The ability to garner so much investment in the area of maternal health and sexual and reproductive rights, in the form of some of these PPPs, is an achievement, said Chatterjee, explaining that between 2014 and 2016, the U.N. — together with the Kenyan government and private sector — had mobilized $15 million.


“This demonstrates what partnerships can do, demonstrates what the right public policy can do, but most importantly it demonstrates that when you have political wealth, when the leadership of the country says this is an issue we need to deal with, it galvanizes not just nationally, but globally.”


Warning of the obstacles that lie ahead, Chatterjee added that it is important to persevere and be tenacious. “I believe that the future of public health will be defined by sexual reproductive health and rights … Without that, it’s not going to happen.”