Transforming newborn survival
Our vision is a world where no baby dies preventably
Help us give babies the first embrace they need
Help us give babies the first embrace they need
2.3 million babies died in in 2023. That's 4 every minute. Many of them of preventable causes.
Low Birth Weight
80% of these deaths are in underweight (LBW) babies (less than 2.5kg). This is the leading risk factor for neonatal mortality.
Geographic Inequality
Half of global neonatal deaths are in Africa. 96% of LBW births are in low and middle income countries (LMICs).
Care Gap
Health systems in LMICs lack the human and physical resources and health infrastructure to provide high quality neonatal care.
We close these gaps to save newborn lives
We work with hospitals and governments to close resource, data and scaling gaps, to maximise save as many newborn lives as possible by increasing coverage of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC). KMC has been recommended by the WHO as the standard of care for all LBW newborns since 2023 and has been saving babies lives since 1983.
KMC comprises immediate and prolonged skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby, with exclusive breastfeeding support and training on signs a baby is unwell. This directly targets the two leading causes of neonatal death among low birth weight infants: complications of LBW (poor feeding and temperature instability) and infection.
KMC comprises immediate and prolonged skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby, with exclusive breastfeeding support and training on signs a baby is unwell. This directly targets the two leading causes of neonatal death among low birth weight infants: complications of LBW (poor feeding and temperature instability) and infection.
Mother's act as their baby's incubator, providing warmth and regulation of their baby's body. Breastfeeding support then allows the baby to gain weight more rapidly and survive.
Partner with us for our pilot
We will pilot our intervention in hospitals in Northern Nigeria in the next few months. We invite collaboration from organisations and individuals interested in supporting evidence-based progress for newborn survival, at scale.
Whether you are a hospital committed to improving neonatal mortality or a government partner looking to build capacity to scale KMC, First Embrace offers a pathway to measurable, sustainable change.
While we currently don't have any funding gaps we are open to speak to donors who can support second stage funding.
Whether you are a hospital committed to improving neonatal mortality or a government partner looking to build capacity to scale KMC, First Embrace offers a pathway to measurable, sustainable change.
While we currently don't have any funding gaps we are open to speak to donors who can support second stage funding.
Hospitals
Join our program. Receive equipment, training and technical support to save babies and contribute to evidence generation that advances neonatal care nationally. We make it easy to improve your neonatal outcomes.
Implementation Partners
We are keen to speak to partners who can implement our program in new areas. We provide funding, technical support and independent monitoring and evaluation.
Government
Work with us to access to technical support, training systems and operational infrastructure to help your region scale effective KMC.
The Evidence
KMC is one of the most rigorously validated live saving interventions in global health and has been assessed by GiveWell to be comparably cost-effective to its best interventions.
33%
Mortality Reduction
50%
Morbidity Reduction
Proven by a landmark meta-analysis (2016) of 21 peer-reviewed randomised control trials mostly comparing KC to incubator care, in LMICs. KMC significantly improves newborn morbidity outcomes, reducing sepsis, low temperature, and low blood sugar.
KMC saves babies lives and then gives them the a head start on development.
KMC saves babies lives and then gives them the a head start on development.
Consistently Effective
32-37%
Mortality reduction replicated across four subsequent systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Locally Proven
25%
Mortality reduction across Nigeria and 4 other countries in the WHO iKMC RCT (2021) .
KMC's effectiveness is robust and has been proven repeatedly across low resource settings.
Pilot Impact Projections
600
Newborns Reached
LBW infants receiving WHO standard Kangaroo Care
95
Lives Saved
Estimated from proven mortality reduction effects from literature
$2,008
Cost Per Life Saved
Comparable to GiveWell's most effective global health charities
Our model will deliver cost-effective impact and generate missing data to drive government adoption and rapid scale.
Why Nigeria?
1
Potential for impact
In Nigeria 240,000 babies die every year in the neonatal period, the second-highest in the world. Only 27% of hospitals offer Kangaroo Care. The gap between supply and demand is vast.
2
Political Appetite
Nigeria's Every Newborn Action Plan targets Kangaroo Care coverage for 85% of babies by the end of this year. We will work with the government to accelerate progress towards this goal.
3
Tractability
We leverage the expertise of existing Ambitious Impact charities in Nigeria to rapidly develop stakeholder relationships and save as many babies as possible.
Over time we want to save as many babies as possible, wherever they are.
Resources
First Embrace make our evidence, methodologies, and results freely accessible. We believe rigorous data and open sharing accelerate collective progress towards minimising preventable newborn deaths.
Stay Informed
Receive quarterly updates on our pilot results, new research findings, and opportunities for collaboration. Join a community of evidence-driven changemakers working to ensure every newborn receives the care they deserve.
Full Program
Implementation plan, proposal, and model specifications for our Kangaroo Care program
Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
Complete monitoring and evaluation methodology, data collection tools, and analysis protocols
Cost Effectiveness Analysis
Detailed breakdown of programme costs, mortality reduction estimates, and comparative analyses. Budgets.
Live Impact Dashboards
Outcomes, babies helped and effectiveness (available from Q2 2026)