Ministry of Health announces measures to reduce maternal, newborn deaths
The measures are intended to ensure that mothers and newborns receive timely, safe, and dignified care across public and private health facilities nationwide.
The Ministry of Health has unveiled a series of targeted interventions aimed at reducing maternal and newborn deaths as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the quality of care and advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The measures are intended to ensure that mothers and newborns receive timely, safe, and dignified care across public and private health facilities nationwide.
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The announcement was made during the 4th graduation ceremony of the Training Institute of Specialised Nursing at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital, which celebrated 77 graduates in critical care, oncology, perioperative, and nephrology nursing, the largest cohort since the institute’s establishment.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale outlined the key interventions, which include the launch of a national Reproductive-Age Mortality Survey to determine the true extent and causes of deaths among women of reproductive age, the digitisation and disciplined use of the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) system, and enforcement of higher clinical standards.
These standards cover patient triage and referral, 24-hour theatre readiness, oxygen and blood availability, neonatal resuscitation, consultant support, and respectful maternity care.
“These measures align resources and skills with real-time data to make our interventions timely, targeted and life-saving,” Duale said.
He urged public and private health facilities to maintain functional theatres, conduct regular emergency drills, and integrate respectful maternity care as a professional standard. “Safety must be a system property, not a slogan,” he added.
Duale also highlighted ongoing reforms under the Fifth Administration’s Universal Health Coverage agenda, which include healthcare financing, commodity security and local manufacturing, digitisation of health systems, and building a fit-for-purpose health workforce.
He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening the digital health infrastructure, the Social Health Authority (SHA), and the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) to ensure equitable, efficient, and affordable service delivery across all levels of care.
The graduation ceremony was attended by Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni, Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) Board Chairperson James Kibugu, CEO Dr Zeinab Gura, and other senior officials.
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