Kangaroo Care saves lives. The problem is delivery.
We exist to close that gap.
The delivery gap
Three barriers keep Kangaroo Care from every newborn who needs it
Kangaroo Care has been Nigerian national policy since 2017. Implementation literature reviewed by ourselves and GiveWell reveals three recurring barriers limiting Kangaroo Care’s reach.
of surveyed hospitals offer Kangaroo Care (Save the Children, 2016).
Wraps and enough trained nurses aren’t there.
Most hospitals don’t have the wraps, the equipment, or staff trained in the protocol to deliver Kangaroo Care on the wards they already run.
routine indicators of Kangaroo Care coverage in operation nationwide.
Nobody is measuring what’s happening.
Without coverage data, funding and implementation remain limited and preventable mortality continues.
of eligible newborns receive Kangaroo Care nationwide.
SourceThe policy has no operational playbook.
Hospitals know Kangaroo Care works. They lack the dedicated staff, blueprint, and feedback loops to deliver it consistently.
How we close the gap
Our model turns Kangaroo Care from an underused policy recommendation into a reliable clinical service. We try to give every vulnerable newborn Kangaroo Care within 24 hours of birth, followed by continuous skin-to-skin care, breastfeeding support, and close monitoring of danger signs.
Chapter 01
We equip existing wards with only what they really need to deliver Kangaroo Care.
We build capacity for Kangaroo Care, based on WHO recommendations and designed for the realities of a Nigerian hospital.
Chapter 02
We deploy Kangaroo Care-certified nursing teams.
Each hospital receives full-time Kangaroo Care nurses and an on-site monitoring & evaluation coordinator to deliver onboarding, adherence support, and continuous coaching.
Chapter 03
We run real-time monitoring & improvement cycles.
Using a digital M&E system developed by Ansh and adapted to Nigeria, we track every Kangaroo Care session, newborn status, and nurse interaction. Weekly dashboards let us iterate quickly, alongside the nurses on-site.
Chapter 04
We embed Kangaroo Care locally for long-term scale.
We collect effectiveness evidence and use it to unlock wider government adoption, adapting all materials and delivery to the local context.
Our path to scale
We scale by proving the model, then working with government so they deliver it
Nigeria’s Every Newborn Action Plan targets 95% Kangaroo Care coverage by 2030. To our knowledge, we are the only partner practically scaling it in large public hospitals in Kano.
- 01
Baseline audit
Establish a clear starting point to measure and improve against.
- 02
Equip & train
Provide the ward, equipment, and skills to deliver Kangaroo Care.
- 03
Measure & iterate
Track every session and refine the approach continuously.
- 04
Government delivery
Work with the hospital and state so they deliver the program themselves for the long term.
Theory of change
How the inputs become impact
Human resources for Kangaroo Care: trained nurses and a program team
Required Kangaroo Care equipment
Partnerships for buy-in from hospital management and government
More babies referred to wards with capacity for Kangaroo Care
More caregivers deliver Kangaroo Care
More babies receive Kangaroo Care
Kangaroo Care institutionalised as standard of care within the health system
Increased newborn weight gain
Reduced neonatal sepsis and hypothermia
Reduced hospital readmissions
Improved survival and health of vulnerable newborns