Every year 250,000 newborns in Nigeria don't survive their first month.
Many could be saved by a simple solution that few receive.
We ensure no child misses out on a lifesaving first embrace.
The WHO recommends Kangaroo Care (KMC) for all underweight and premature newborns with its highest level of certainty. Only 5% of them receive it.
What is KMC?
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How does it work?
pilot
Our Pilot
Pilot
Kano
since february 2026
We are piloting our model in one of Nigeria's highest burden hospitals for newborns. We will compare program mortality and morbidity to the baseline at our pilot hospital and regional and national data to evaluate impact.
All of our data is shared with the Kano State Ministry of Health.
75% of newborn deaths are in the first week of life. Most of our newborns stay with us through it.
OUR MODEL
We embed KMC in government hospitals
The Nigerian government is dedicated to 90% of newborns to receiving KMC by 2030. We are the only NGO implementing KMC for newborns in large hospitals in Kano State.
STEP 01
Train and equip
We train and hire nurses while equipping wards only with what they need to deliver WHO standard KMC.
STEP 02
Deliver and track
Newborns receive skin to skin care with every session digitally tracked from admission to discharge, and are followed up for the first month.
STEP 03
Embed
We help government translate KMC policy recommendations into local budgets.
We believe in transparent sharing of our work to support collective impact in newborn health.
First Embrace is a Charity Entrepreneurship charity and fiscally sponsored project of Anti Entropy (EIN: 88-0967420), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. 2026.