Kenya is taking decisive steps to reduce maternal and newborn deaths, President William Ruto told leaders at a high-level African Union event on maternal health.
Speaking at the “From Commitment to Impact – Accelerating Maternal Mortality Reduction in Africa” side meeting during the 39th Ordinary AU Summit, he said it is unacceptable that women continue to die during childbirth.
“Protecting the lives of women and children is a responsibility we must uphold without compromise,” Ruto said, stressing the importance of prioritizing maternal and child health.
The President outlined Kenya’s approach, which focuses on both improving health services and ensuring families can afford care. Central to this effort is the newly established Social Health Authority, which provides pre-paid coverage for maternal services.
“So far, we have facilitated direct coverage for 50,000 vulnerable adolescent mothers, guaranteeing ante-natal, safe delivery and post-natal services,” he noted.
Plans are underway to enroll an additional 38,000 mothers, ensuring that financial constraints never prevent a young woman from receiving care.
Through these measures, Kenya aims to create a more inclusive healthcare system that supports vulnerable mothers from pregnancy through delivery and beyond.
Ruto’s address highlighted the government’s commitment to concrete actions rather than promises, showing how reforms in financing and service delivery can save lives.
BAck in November 2025, President Ruto called for immediate transparency from hospitals nationwide, insisting that every maternal and child death be reported to the Digital Health Authority (DHA).
The directive came amid continued concern over the high number of preventable deaths in health facilities across the country.
The President emphasised that both public and private hospitals must submit real-time data on mothers and children who die under their care.
“Maternal and newborn mortalities remain unacceptably high. No woman should die while giving birth, and no baby should be lost to preventable causes. The Ministry of Health is under firm instruction to deliver rapid, measurable reductions through real-time reporting of every case,” Ruto said.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), maternal death refers to the death of a woman during pregnancy or within 42 days after its end, caused by factors related to the pregnancy or its management, excluding accidents or unrelated causes.
Most of these deaths are preventable, often caused by poor-quality care, a shortage of healthcare providers, or a lack of essential medical supplies.
The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022 reports a maternal mortality ratio of 355 deaths per 100,000 live births, which equals about 6,000 deaths yearly.
Infant mortality stands at 32 deaths per 1,000 live births. Contributing factors include maternal age, birth size, level of maternal education, place of delivery, birth spacing, and antenatal care attendance.
