MoH unveils committee to curb maternal deaths

The Ministry of Health has unveiled the National Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) Steering Committee in a renewed push to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths in Kenya.

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Health CS Adan Duale inaugurated the committee, describing the move as a critical step toward strengthening accountability and improving the quality of maternal and newborn care nationwide.

The initiative, anchored in Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda, will be implemented under the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere (EWENE) Acceleration Plan.

It seeks to ensure that no woman dies while giving birth and no newborn loses life due to preventable causes.

Speaking during the launch, Duale said the MPDSR framework will be operationalised at the facility, sub-county and county levels through structured and routine review meetings.

Each reported maternal or perinatal death will trigger immediate corrective measures, with findings feeding into broader health system reforms.

According to the ministry, data generated from the reviews will guide national policy decisions, targeted financing and coordinated interventions to address persistent gaps in emergency obstetric care, referral systems, blood availability, essential medical commodities and staffing shortages.

To support implementation, the government has issued policy directives to the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the Digital Health Agency (DHA) to enable maternity reimbursement for qualifying Level 2 and Level 3 health facilities.

The Social Health Authority benefits package is also under review to align with national maternal and newborn care guidelines.

Efforts are underway to strengthen ambulance referral systems and reinforce the National Blood Transfusion Services to tackle critical blood shortages identified through death audits.

Duale urged counties to prioritise recruitment, equitable deployment and continuous training of healthcare workers, while calling on providers to uphold professionalism, compassion and clinical excellence.

He also tasked the Steering Committee with ensuring that its recommendations translate into tangible improvements in health facilities, referral networks, commodity security, financing mechanisms and workforce support to safeguard the lives of mothers and newborns nationwide.

The launch was attended by senior health officials and representatives from UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO, underscoring broad support for the renewed drive to safeguard mothers and newborns across the country.