16 mothers die every day as Kenya expands maternal care

About 16 women die every day from pregnancy-related causes in Kenya.[Courtesy]

About 16 women die every day from pregnancy-related causes in Kenya, highlighting persistent gaps in access to timely and quality maternal care even as the country records improvements in some newborn and child health indicators.

The scale of the challenge is driving renewed investment in maternal and neonatal services, with the government and private sector seeking to expand access to emergency obstetric care and specialised newborn services, particularly in counties carrying a disproportionate share of deaths.

The latest intervention is a new 200–250-bed Mother and Baby Hospital being constructed in Chebunyo, Bomet County, through a partnership between the government and Amsons Group.

The Level Four facility is expected to provide antenatal, maternity and postnatal care, labour and delivery services, obstetric intensive care, newborn and neonatal intensive care, as well as maternity and neonatal theatres.

It will also include an isolation unit, mothers' hostel, pharmacy and health information services.

President William Ruto, who broke ground for the facility, said maternal deaths should not be viewed merely as statistics because each death has consequences for families and communities.

“Behind each statistic is a mother, a family, and a future diminished by death that in many cases could have been prevented,” he said.

Kenya's maternal health challenge is closely linked to unequal access to health facilities and emergency services. Fewer than half of health facilities provide maternal services, while only about one-third offer emergency obstetric care.

The country also has about 12 hospital beds per 10,000 people, well below the World Health Organization's recommended 25 beds.

The shortage is particularly pronounced at Level Four facilities, which have 6,231 beds against an estimated requirement of 18,900.

The burden of maternal and neonatal deaths is also unevenly distributed, with 26 counties accounting for about 60 per cent of the deaths.

“This tells us that where a mother lives still has a significant bearing on whether she can safely deliver her child, and whether that child survives the first month of life,” President Ruto said.

For women experiencing obstetric emergencies, the distance between a community and a facility capable of providing surgery, blood transfusion or advanced newborn care can determine the outcome.

This makes the expansion of facilities such as Chebunyo important, particularly in areas where women have traditionally had to travel long distances for specialized services.

Bomet's health indicators, however, suggest that access to basic maternal and child health services is relatively strong compared with the national picture.

Neonatal mortality in the county stands at 17 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared with 21 nationally. Infant mortality is 26 per 1,000 live births against a national figure of 32, while under-five mortality stands at 28 compared with 41 nationally.

More than 75 per cent of births in Bomet are attended by skilled health workers, compared with 69 per cent nationally. Full immunisation coverage is above 79 per cent, while exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months stands at 82.5 per cent.

But these gains do not necessarily mean that women are protected when complications occur.

President Ruto cautioned against relying on favourable averages while overlooking barriers such as distance, cost and the availability of specialized services.

“Encouraging averages must never conceal the distance, cost and anxiety experienced by a mother who cannot reach specialized care when complications arise,” he said.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has called for accelerated action to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths, with the government focusing on emergency obstetric and neonatal services, skilled health workers and access to essential commodities.

The government says it has allocated an additional Sh4 billion through the Social Health Authority to cover pregnant women, Sh1 billion for maternal and newborn commodities and Sh2.5 billion for family planning services.

It is also recruiting and deploying 5,000 additional nurses and midwives nationally.

Through the Every Woman, Every Newborn, Everywhere initiative, the government says it is strengthening emergency obstetric and newborn care, training health workers and improving access to life-saving maternal and neonatal commodities.

The Chebunyo project is part of a wider $35 million commitment by Amsons Group Foundation to establish 10 mother and child hospitals across Kenya within two years.

The Amsons Group Managing Director said the Chebunyo facility would be the first of the planned hospitals and would provide a model for subsequent projects.

The investment, he said, was intended not only to increase physical infrastructure but also to bring quality maternal and child health services closer to communities.

The President described the contribution as a grant rather than a loan, underscoring the private sector's role in supporting public health infrastructure.

But the bigger question is whether additional buildings will translate into fewer maternal and newborn deaths.