Teenage mothers to receive free health services as government launches special health cards
According to Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, the move is part of a wider government effort to make healthcare more inclusive, particularly for young mothers who often miss out on care due to stigma or financial constraints.
Teenage mothers in Kenya are set to benefit from a new government-backed health initiative that will provide them with free access to essential maternal and child health services through special health cards.
According to Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, the move is part of a wider government effort to make healthcare more inclusive, particularly for young mothers who often miss out on care due to stigma or financial constraints.
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He stated that the cards would enable teenage mothers to access services such as antenatal check-ups, delivery, postnatal care, immunisation, family planning, and mental health support.
“Complementing existing programmes like Linda Mama, this initiative marks a shift from reactive to inclusive healthcare, where everyone, especially vulnerable teenagers, is incorporated into our health system,” said Duale in a statement.
“By integrating teenage mothers into the health system, we are not only reducing health risks and school dropouts but also addressing long-term poverty.”
The introduction of the health cards forms part of broader maternal health reforms currently being rolled out by the Ministry of Health.
Key among these is the transition from the NHIF-based Linda Mama programme to the more comprehensive Linda Jamii package, now overseen by the newly established Social Health Authority (SHA).
Unlike its predecessor, which primarily focused on delivery services, the enhanced Linda Jamii package offers support throughout the full maternal journey. This includes antenatal care, both normal and Caesarean deliveries, postnatal care, and essential newborn services.
It also introduces critical new interventions, such as the provision of Anti-D serum for Rhesus-negative mothers to prevent complications in future pregnancies.
In addition, Duale noted that Linda Jamii allows mothers to register their spouses and children—an improvement on the limited individual coverage previously offered under NHIF.
“Under the new package, a mother can also register her spouse and children with Linda Jamii, far surpassing the restricted individual coverage previously available under NHIF,” he said.
The government has also revised the reimbursement rates for maternal services to better reflect the actual cost of care.
Normal deliveries will now be reimbursed at Sh10,000, up from Sh2,500, while Caesarean sections will be covered up to Sh30,000, up from Sh5,000.
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