The Ministry of Health has launched a national steering committee to address preventable deaths among mothers and newborns, responding to persistent maternal mortality challenges across the country.
The National Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response steering committee will lead investigations into each case, provide actionable recommendations, and ensure findings translate into immediate improvements at health facilities, sub-county, and county levels.
Speaking during the launch in Nairobi on Monday, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the committee is central to saving lives and improving maternal and newborn health outcomes nationwide.
“No woman should lose her life while giving birth, and no newborn should die from preventable causes,” Duale said, underlining the importance of collective commitment to protecting women and children.
“Every woman matters. Every newborn matters. And every preventable death must be prevented. Together, with unity of purpose and unwavering resolve, we will ensure that every woman and every newborn survives and thrives, everywhere in Kenya."
He explained that the committee will hold regular, results-focused meetings to ensure prompt action when deaths occur.
“Where deaths occur, corrective action must immediately follow,” Duale added.
He further said that when investigations reveal gaps in emergency response, referral systems, essential medical supplies, or staffing, the committee must address these through policy updates, budget prioritisation, and coordinated nationwide interventions.
The framework guiding the steering committee will be implemented consistently across all levels of healthcare, from local facilities to county management, ensuring a comprehensive approach to maternal and newborn safety.
Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni emphasized that maternal health should never be treated as a matter of chance.
“Motherhood must never be a near-death experience. We sit in Nairobi, yet our mandate goes beyond. We are here because behind every statistic is a name, a face, a family. Preventable deaths are not misfortune but failed systems that can be corrected,” she said.
The initiative will be reinforced through the nationwide rollout of the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere (EWENE) acceleration plan, following the alarming maternal mortality figures reported in 20 counties in 2025.
Duale said the Social Health Authority has already paid health premiums for around 50,000 pregnant adolescents, enabling them to access free antenatal, postnatal, and newborn care services.
“This is a deliberate step to protect vulnerable girls. Financial ability must never determine the survival of a mother or a child,” he said.
The committee’s key responsibility will be to review maternal deaths and propose concrete interventions to eliminate avoidable fatalities.
“We have mapped out 26 high-burden counties to benefit from the maternal and newborn health rapid initiative to drive improvement of maternal and newborn health outcomes,” Duale said.
He also issued a policy directive to SHA, permitting maternity reimbursements at approved Level 2 and Level 3 facilities, aiming to reduce financial pressure on families, especially in remote areas.
“We have no excuse that SHA is not reimbursing or taking care of patients at level 2 or level 3 in most of our far-flung areas,” Duale said.
The ministry is reviewing the Social Health Authority benefit package with the benefit package tariffs advisory panel to align services with national maternal and newborn care standards.
Plans are also underway to finalize the rollout of an SHA-supported ambulance referral system to strengthen emergency transfers.
“No mother should die while being transferred from one facility to another. The SHA referral ambulance system will be one of its kind; well-equipped and qualified medics,” Duale said, noting that Samburu County has previously depended on Nakuru for some blood tests.
The ministry says the new steering committee will ensure a coordinated, effective national response, aiming to prevent avoidable maternal and newborn deaths and strengthen healthcare for families across Kenya.
