Press release -
Swedfund invests in maternal care in East Africa
According to WHO, more than 300 000 women died in 2015 from pregnancy related causes. Two thirds of these deaths occurred in Sub Saharan Africa. Some of the gaps leading to poor outcomes are delays in seeking care, delays in action or inadequate care by providers. Gaps that Jacaranda Maternity addresses through its maternal care model.
- One of our focus sectors is healthcare. We are very proud to support Jacaranda Maternity in its mission to reduce maternal and infant mortality in East Africa, says Maria Håkansson, CEO at Swedfund.
Jacaranda Maternity offers a safe and affordable option to deliver babies, continuous follow-up during the pregnancy and checkups after delivery. Jacaranda was the first facility in East Africa to receive a Safecare* quality rating of 5/5 and continues to demonstrate good health outcomes for mothers and babies. The business model has been tested since 2011 when founder Nick Pearson decided to open the company’s first mobile clinic in Nairobi. A year later, Jacaranda Maternity opened its first fixed clinic in Nairobi and today it is ready to expand with a vision to become the region’s leading provider of safe and affordable maternal care within ten years.
Jacaranda Maternity also incorporates SRHR (sexual rights and reproductive health) into its current strategy, with a strong focus on improving availability and counseling of postpartum family planning for its clients.
Together with Africa Healthcare Fund (managed by Asia Africa Investment and Consulting Pte Ltd.) and Johnson & Johnson Foundation, Swedfund is investing in Jacaranda Maternity, to support its expansion throughout Kenya. Swedfund is committed to making investments in the healthcare sector, even as the sector manages the Covid-19 pandemic, to enhance equality and increase access to quality healthcare for all population groups.
By investing in a company addressing maternal healthcare, this investment addresses UN Sustainable Development Goal #3 (Good Health & Wellbeing), #5 (Gender Equality) and #8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth).
*Safecare is an independent body that certifies quality of care for health facilities in Africa (www.safe-care.org/).
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About Swedfund
Swedfund is Sweden's development finance institution for sustainable investments in developing countries. In order to achieve the goal: a world without poverty, more jobs are required in the private sector and that access to renewable energy is increasing. Investments are therefore made within energy & climate, health and to reach small and medium-sized companies.
As a state-owned company, Swedfund is managed by the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation. The operations are financed partly through capital injections for which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible and through reflows from the own portfolio. Swedfund was founded in 1979 and has since the start made more than 240 investments in more than 60 countries.
