Cameroon kangaroo mother care development impact bond: End of programme report

An overview of what the DIB achieved, the lessons we learnt, and what might come next. 

In December 2018, the Cameroon Ministry of Public Health, Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents (GFF), Grand Challenges Canada, Nutrition International and the Fondation Kangourou Cameroun, with the support of the Fundación Canguro Colombia, launched the Cameroon kangaroo mother care (KMC) development impact bond (DIB).

Programme delivery started in February 2019 with the DIB aiming to reduce morbidity and mortality among premature and low-birth weight infants in five regions of Cameroon by rolling-out quality KMC in 10 hospitals. DIB design, performance management and sustainability support were provided by Social Finance.

The DIB successfully equipped 10 hospitals to deliver quality KMC, trained 47 neonatal clinicians and 121 community health workers to support mothers in delivery of KMC to low-birth-weight babies. As a result, 1221 babies received quality KMC, 28% percent above the DIB target of 951 babies. 80% babies were exclusively breastfed at point of discharge from hospital and 80% percent of babies had appropriate weight gain at 40 weeks gestational age.

As the DIB comes to a close, after two and a half years of service delivery, this report provides an overview of what the DIB achieved, the lessons we learnt and what might come next.