A mother holding her newborn in Kangaroo Care on a ward in Kano

Making lifesaving newborn care universal in Nigeria.

Two nurses in Kano attending a newborn under the warmer on the ward

Around

vulnerable newborns die in Nigeria every year.

The Global Burden of Disease estimates that prematurity and low birth weight (vulnerability) causes 70% of newborn deaths.

A nurse in Kano handing a newborn to its mother in a Kangaroo Care chair, other mothers along the ward behind them

Kangaroo Care reduces a vulnerable newborn’s risk of death by

33%.

Skin to skin care · Exclusive breastfeeding · Danger‑sign education

WHO recommended. Nigerian government 95% target.

The First Embrace team with Kano State health officials outside the hospital

Yet, here only

of them receive it.

First Embrace works to close this gap.

Starting in Kano. Building for scale.

We are refining the model with the government, so it can be delivered to every premature and underweight newborn through the public health system.

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906

Newborns cared for

Since February 2026

91%

Survived

619 of 683 who have reached the end of the neonatal period

96%

Received Kangaroo Care

871 of 906 newborns

83%

2+ hours of skin to skin per day

692 of 836 newborns, across their days in hospital

How do we close the gap?

GiveWell’s analysis of implementation literature identifies common barriers limiting Kangaroo Care’s reach. Our model addresses each one. To our knowledge we are the only organisation helping the government scale Kangaroo Care in Kano.

A nurse logging a Kangaroo Care session in the monitoring system

A nurse counselling a row of mothers in Kangaroo Care chairs, each holding her newborn

First Embrace meeting the Kano State Ministry of Health

Measure

We establish a hospital's baseline mortality, assess what the ward is missing, and agree the partnership.

Deliver

We work to help the hospital provide WHO‑standard Kangaroo Care, log every session, and iterate on what the data shows.

Embed

We work with government to make this the standard of care the health system delivers.

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A mother in a Kangaroo Care gown holding her newborn twins skin-to-skin

A nurse talking the ward through Kangaroo Care, mothers holding their newborns in the chairs

A mother at the window of the ward looking down at her newborn against her chest

A newborn in a white sleepsuit held up to the camera by their mother

A nurse entering a mother's Kangaroo Care record at the ward desk, her newborn in her arms

A mother seated at the end of the ward with her newborn held against her chest

Two nurses in Kano holding a newborn wrapped in a green blanket

A mother on the ward in Kano holding her newborn against her chest

Mothers in Kangaroo Care chairs along the ward, their newborns against their chests

A newborn in a patterned wrap held in a nurse's hands on the ward

A nurse kneeling beside a mother in a Kangaroo Care chair, taking her hands

Nurses at the incubator bay going through a newborn's chart with the mother

Four mothers in Kangaroo Care chairs, each with her newborn against her chest

A father holding his newborn twins against his chest in Kangaroo Care

A mother looking down at her newborn asleep on her lap

Two mothers in neighbouring Kangaroo Care chairs, each with a newborn against her chest

A nurse taking the ward's Kangaroo Care teaching session, mothers listening from the chairs

A mother in a Kangaroo Care chair with her newborn held against her chest

Supported by

The Nigerian Government aims for 95% of vulnerable newborns to receive Kangaroo Care by 2030.

We think that switching from incubator to Kangaroo Care can be done for minimal marginal cost, and the emerging economic evidence supports it.

$120 gives a vulnerable newborn Kangaroo Care from birth to home.

We estimate our own programs can save a newborn life for around $3,000, below the $3,500 GiveWell estimates for Kangaroo Care programs. Donations in particular countries are tax deductible: contact us for information.

A mother in Kano holding her newborn twins in a Kangaroo Care wrap, smiling

$25: Kangaroo Care for a vulnerable newborn on the day when they are at the greatest risk.
$120: Kangaroo Care from birth to home for one newborn.
$1,000: A whole ward cared for from birth to home.
$3,000: A newborn life saved.

Donate

Donating is as quick as reading this.

Look after a hospital

$60,000 runs a public hospital’s program for a year, reaching up to 1,000 vulnerable newborns.

Sponsors receive regular updates and a detailed annual report.

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