July 13, 2026

AMANI trial prepares to launch, supporting Kenyan health facilities to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality

AMANI study team members in Nairobi, Kenya

Over two weeks in June, the AMANI (Accelerating Maternal And Neonatal survIval) trial team met in Nairobi, Kenya for its official launch meeting. The team includes Drs. Arianna Means and Sarah Hicks (UW Department of Global Health), Dr. Jennifer Unger (Brown University), and Dr. John Kinuthia, June Moraa, Violet Apondi, Stanley Wainaina, Joan Kanithi, and Emma Nzove (Kenyatta National Hospital).

The intervention will test a practice facilitation package (of training materials, tools, and other resources) that could help stakeholders better understand the circumstances surrounding maternal and perinatal deaths, and increase adherence to the WHO’s Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) use in practice. Learn more about AMANI in this November 2025 blog post.

During the launch meeting, the trial team held a partner engagement meeting with 35 healthcare providers, facility representatives, and members of County-level and National-level Ministry of Health teams to introduce them to the practice facilitation package. Equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and motivation in MPDSR to actively seek opportunities to reduce mortality and make those changes, enables a safer, supportive care environment at their facilities.

We look forward to sharing future updates as the trial progresses.