Making lifesaving newborn careuniversal in Africa.
1.18 million newborns die here every year.
Kangaroo Care is recommended by the WHO for every vulnerable newborn.Across Africa only 5% receive it.
First Embrace helps governments close this gap.
18%
of vulnerable newborns do not survivethe neonatal period in Nigeria.
Our own estimate, replicating GiveWell’s methodology.
A national estimate, covering newborns born in hospitals and in the community, where mortality is likely higher.
The reasons why can be solved affordably.
First Embrace works with government hospitals and institutions to make Kangaroo Care the main method of care.
The problem
What is Kangaroo Care?
- 1Skin to skin care
- 2Exclusive breastfeeding
- 3Danger-sign education
Results · since February 2026
Starting in Nigeria.Building for scale.
We are refining the model in collaboration with the government, so it can be delivered throughout the public health system.
How do we close the gap?
GiveWell’s analysis of implementation literature identifies common barriers limiting Kangaroo Care’s reach.Our model is designed to address each one.To our knowledge we are the only organisation supporting the government to practically scale Kangaroo Care in Kano.
We equip existing wards to WHO standards and train dedicated nursing teams to run them in public hospitals.
Nurses log every Kangaroo Care session in a real-time monitoring system, and the ward is run off what it shows.
We work with government to make this the standard of care the health system delivers.
The path to scale
Nigerian national policy (2017) aims for 95% Kangaroo Care coverage by 2030.
Shifting from incubator to Kangaroo Caremay cost a health system very little.
An incubator
Mains power, servicing by a technician, transport, repairs. It warms one newborn at a time, and it keeps that newborn away from their mother.
Kangaroo Care
A wrap. It works through a power cut, the warmth comes from the mother, and one mother can hold twins or triplets at once.
We think that switch can be made for minimal marginal cost, and the emerging economic evidence supports it.
Our work is to help them make this change at scale.
When newborns die, and how many stay with us
Around 60% of newborn deaths happen in the first three days of life.
Systematic review of 34 studies.
77% of our newborns stay with us through them.
575 of 745 newborns whose stay has ended reached day 3 or beyond.
Supported by
Why us
Built for this challenge. Led by those closest to it.
We unite global clinical experience with local systems expertise.
Partners
Advised by experts from
Support
$120 gives a newborn Kangaroo Care from birth to home.
We estimate our programs can save a newborn life for around $3,000. Predictable funding lowers equipment costs through bulk procurement, so every dollar goes further. Donations in particular countries are tax deductible: contact us for information.
- $25
- Kangaroo Care for a vulnerable newborn on the day when they are most likely to not survive.
- $120
- Kangaroo Care from birth to home for one newborn.
- $1,000
- Kangaroo Care for a whole ward of vulnerable newborns for a week.
- $3,000
- A newborn life saved.
Donating is as quick as reading this. One-off or monthly.
Look after a hospital
$60,000 funds our program costs at a public hospital for a whole year, reaching up to 1,000 vulnerable newborns with lifesaving care.
Contact us at info@firstembrace.org.uk to sponsor a hospital. Sponsors receive regular updates and a detailed annual report.