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

Making lifesaving newborn care universal in Nigeria.

250,000 newborns die in Nigeria every year.

The WHO recommends Kangaroo Care for every vulnerable newborn, because it reduces their risk of death by 33% compared to existing care.

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

Here, only 5% receive it.

First Embrace works to close this gap.

A mother in Kano in a Kangaroo Care wrap, her newborn held against her chest

Starting in Nigeria. 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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903

Newborns cared for

Since February 2026

91%

Survived the neonatal period

609 of 670 who have reached the end of the neonatal period

96%

Received Kangaroo Care

868 of 903 newborns

82%

2+ hours of skin to skin per day

685 of 833 newborns, across their days in hospital

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

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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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.

Today

The incubator bay under its lamps, a nurse attending a mother at the edge of the room

18%

Of vulnerable newborns do not survive in Nigeria.

Our estimate, using GiveWell methodology.

One Day

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

60,000

More newborns could survive every year, at national scale.

Estimated effect of bringing Kangaroo Care to national scale in Nigeria.

Kangaroo Care also halves serious infection and reduces hypothermia by 72%. Cochrane, 2016.

$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 carrying her newborn skin-to-skin in a Kangaroo Care wrap

$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.