Ruto: SHA now covers 50,000 vulnerable adolescent mothers

President William Ruto has said Kenya has so far facilitated direct health coverage for 50,000 vulnerable adolescent mothers.

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Speaking during the Commitment to Action: Ending Preventable Maternal Deaths in Africa breakfast meeting in Addis Ababa on February 14, 2026, he said the initiative guarantees access to antenatal care, safe delivery, and post-natal services as part of renewed efforts to end preventable maternal and neonatal deaths.

"Through the new Social Health Authority, we are expanding pre-paid access to maternal care. So far, we have facilitated direct coverage for 50,000 vulnerable adolescent mothers, guaranteeing antenatal, safe delivery, and post-natal services," Ruto stated.

He added that a further 38,000 adolescent mothers are currently being onboarded into the programme to widen the safety net.

President Ruto described maternal and neonatal deaths as an unacceptable failure of health systems and governance.

He said the loss of women during childbirth is not merely a health statistic, but a direct measure of how well a country protects its most vulnerable citizens and delivers care at the most critical moment.

Ruto said the government has adopted what it calls the “Accra Reset” mindset, which shifts health from being viewed as a consumption cost.

"We have adopted what we call the 'Accra Reset' mindset - a shift from viewing health as a consumption cost to recognising it as a strategic investment and a foundation of national productivity and social stability," he said.

Under this approach, he said Kenya has restructured its health financing framework to ensure that no woman is denied safe childbirth because of cost.

Central to this reform is the rollout of the Social Health Authority, through which he noted pre-paid access to maternal healthcare is being expanded.

The President said the 50,000 adolescent mothers already covered are among the most vulnerable, many of whom would otherwise struggle to afford consistent maternity care

“Financing, however, must be matched by clinical readiness,” Ruto noted, stressing that insurance coverage alone is not sufficient without strong health facilities and skilled personnel.

To address this, he said Kenya is implementing the Maternal and Newborn Health Rapid Results Initiative, which is concentrating resources in 26 high-burden counties with the highest maternal and neonatal mortality rates.

Through the initiative, he said the government is delivering bundled medical equipment directly to last-mile health facilities to strengthen emergency obstetric and newborn care.

This, Ruto said, is aimed at ensuring that women experiencing complications during childbirth can receive timely, life-saving interventions close to where they live.

The President also highlighted investments in the health workforce as a critical pillar of system resilience.

He said 721 frontline health workers have been trained, while 2,880 Community Health Promoters and 192 Community Health Assistants have been deployed to extend maternal and child health services at the grassroots.

These teams serve as the first point of contact for expectant mothers in villages and informal settlements and are linked to higher-level care through 25 Primary Care Networks.

In addition, Ruto said Kenya is strengthening health intelligence systems by moving from broad estimates to precise measurements of maternal deaths using the Reproductive Age Mortality Survey approach.

This, he said, will allow the country to know exactly who is dying, where, and why, enabling targeted interventions.

Ruto reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to sustained, system-wide health reforms, saying the goal is to protect the lives and futures of women and children through accountable delivery and evidence-based action.