NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 11 – A claim by a Facebook user offering pregnancy care advice that the government-funded Linda Mama program providing free maternity care had been discontinued is false.
The user with over 14,000 followers and who has a publicly-listed mobile phone and email contacts stated, “so now it is official [sic] Linda Mama is being scrapped…”
The post attracted nearly 100 comments with most followers regretting the alleged plan to disband the program which seeks to help women, especially those in low-income neighborhoods, access healthcare during pregnancy.
It also seeks to reduce child mortality by encouraging hospital deliveries.
The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), a government-owned insurance scheme under which the Linda Mama program is run, flagged the claim as misleading in a statement issued on January 2, 2023.
In a statement circulated on NHIF-run social media platforms including its Twitter account, the parastatal affirmed that it will continue implementing the Linda Mama program.
“The government continues taking care of mothers through the Linda Mama program implemented by NHIF,” the agency stated.
The viral claim is therefore untrue.
