President William Ruto, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, Health CS Aden Duale, Medical Service PS Dr.Ouma Oluga during the launch of Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere (EWENE)

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Kirinyaga County has recorded significant improvements in maternal and newborn health, with the number of babies dying within the first 28 days of birth declining by more than half over the past years.

 

Governor Anne Waiguru said the latest data shows neonatal mortality has fallen from 26 to 10 deaths for every 1,000 live births, while maternal mortality has declined from 88 to 55 deaths per 100,000 live births.

 

“The improvement in maternal mortality has placed Kirinyaga among counties with the strongest improvements in survival of mothers during births,” Waiguru said.

 

The Governor attributed the gains to health sector reforms implemented since 2017, saying they have transformed access to pregnancy and childbirth services across the county and made the journey safer for mothers.

Waiguru said the proportion of mothers delivering under the care of skilled health workers and in health facilities has increased from 87 to 92 per cent.

She said the county has also recorded progress in child immunisation, with the proportion of children fully immunised by 12 months rising from 81 to 91 per cent.

 

“The rise in antenatal coverage means that more women are completing the recommended four visits during pregnancy,” she said.

Waiguru said the county has deliberately strengthened its primary healthcare system to ensure women can access skilled care throughout pregnancy.

 

“We have deliberately strengthened the primary healthcare system to ensure that women access skilled care throughout pregnancy. We have expanded services, equipped our facilities, and ensured our mothers receive the kind of attention that protects both life and wellbeing,” she said.

 

The Governor said the improvements have been driven by sustained investment in healthcare infrastructure, skilled personnel, newborn care and community-based interventions.

 

The county government says the gains have placed Kirinyaga below national benchmarks on key maternal and newborn health indicators, translating into more mothers and babies surviving childbirth and fewer families experiencing preventable loss.

 

This comes after Kenya strengthened its drive to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths following the signing of a cooperation framework between the Ministry of Health and the Beginnings Fund, marking a major milestone in advancing equitable, high-quality maternal and newborn healthcare through nationally led reforms.

 

The partnership unlocks an investment of USD 80 million (approximately KSh 10.4 billion) over the next five years to accelerate implementation of Kenya’s Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere (EWENE) Acceleration Plan and support the country’s 90-90-80-80 (tel:90-90-80-80) maternal and newborn health targets.

The programme will focus on 21 high-burden counties and nearly 200 high-volume health facilities, with interventions expected to benefit close to six million women and newborns by 2030.

Supported by the Beginnings Fund—a philanthropic partnership that pools and deploys catalytic philanthropic capital alongside African governments and its coalition of founding donors, including the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, the Gates Foundation, the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Delta Philanthropies and The ELMA Foundation, the partnership will strengthen efforts to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths while building a more resilient and sustainable health system.

Key investments will support the availability of lifesaving medicines, essential commodities and medical technologies, improve maternity and newborn infrastructure, expand the health workforce, strengthen emergency referral systems, accelerate digital health solutions and enhance health information systems.