ALT On 4 June 2026, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation - Malawi, NEST360 Malawi and NICO Group celebrated the handover of a backup solar power system at Nkhatabay District Hospital's nursery ward. The installation will help protect newborns who rely on life-saving equipment by ensuring continuous power during outages. For a facility managing hundreds of deliveries and dozens of newborn admissions each month, this investment represents a critical step toward improving newborn survival and quality of care. A special thank you to NICO Group, district leadership, healthcare workers, and community partners who made this milestone possible. Together, we're proving that partnerships can deliver lasting impact for Malawi's smallest patients.

ALT The NEST360 Nigeria Program Review Meeting was held in Lagos from May 25–26, 2026, bringing together representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, State Ministries of Health, clinical leads, Quality Improvement coaches, and biomedical engineers. The meeting provided an opportunity to review Quarter 1 and mid-Quarter 2 progress, align implementation strategies with Technical Advisory Committee recommendations, and identify priorities for the months ahead. Key discussions focused on facility performance analysis using FAST plots, integrating Electronic Medical Records to address data management challenges, and finalizing national biomedical maintenance Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to strengthen equipment sustainability. The meeting concluded with clear action commitments and reinforced government ownership as a critical component for sustaining long-term improvements in care for small and sick newborns across Nigeria.

ALT Kenya has made history as the first country globally to launch the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere (EWENE) Acceleration Plan 2026–2028, a bold commitment to reducing preventable maternal & newborn deaths. The national framework was officially unveiled by H.E. President Dr William Ruto & First Lady Rachel Ruto, marking a significant milestone in Kenya’s efforts to improve maternal & newborn health outcomes. The plan focuses on strengthening healthcare services, accountability, and targeted interventions, particularly in 26 high-burden counties. Complementing this effort is a six-month Maternal & Newborn Health Rapid Results Initiative (RRI), which will accelerate implementation through five key pillars: Finance & Governance, Human Resources for Health, Data & Monitoring, Commodities & Technologies & Service Delivery. A highlight of the launch was the flagging off of 20 lorries carrying maternal & newborn health equipment destined for high-burden counties across the country.

ALT Data-driven planning is critical to strengthening newborn care systems. From 6th–8th May, the NEST360 Kenya team conducted a Health Facility Assessment (HFA) training for data collectors before carrying out assessments across seven facilities in Nairobi, Central, and Western regions. Most of the assessed facilities were Level 4 hospitals identified for the Hub and Spoke model under NEST360 Phase 2 expansion. The assessments evaluated readiness across neonatal infrastructure, biomedical equipment, leadership and governance, human resources, data systems, and hand hygiene practices. The findings will provide an important baseline for planning and implementation, helping align investments and resources with actual facility needs. This work marks another step toward improving the quality of care available to small and sick newborns across Kenya.

ALT Kangaroo Mother Care is built on closeness, warmth, and continuous support, and fathers play an important role, too. When fathers, caregivers, and families are empowered to participate in newborn care, small and sick babies have a stronger chance of survival and a healthy start. This World KMC Day, we celebrate all caregivers supporting newborns through love, presence, and care. Read about a father’s journey into Kangaroo Mother Care: https://nest360.org/a-fathers-journey-into-kangaroo-mother-care/

ALT Every small and preterm newborn deserves the chance to survive and thrive. Effective Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) requires more than commitment alone. It requires practical solutions that health teams can apply every day. The Change Package resource is a practical guide for teams working to strengthen Kangaroo Mother Care. It connects common gaps with concrete change ideas, process measures, and supporting tools. That means facilities do not have to start from scratch; they can use the resource to spot what is not working, choose what to address first, and take informed steps toward better newborn care If you work in newborn health, quality improvement, or maternal and child health, take a look at the KMC pages (12 -23) in the change package and see how the ideas can support your work. Link: https://nest360.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/NEST360_Change-Package_3_24_26.pdf