NAIROBI, Kenya – County governments are being drawn into a five-year maternal and newborn health investment programme targeting the prevention of 46,494 deaths and stillbirths as Kenya steps up efforts to meet its 2030 health goals.
The Council of Governors and Beginnings Fund are advancing the initiative through a partnership aimed at strengthening the delivery of maternal and newborn healthcare across counties.
The projected impact is broken down into 25,432 newborn lives, 16,162 stillbirths and 4,900 maternal lives that the programme aims to save through improved healthcare services.
The collaboration is expected to strengthen coordination between the fund and county administrations, which are responsible for delivering much of the country’s frontline health services.
The initiative focuses on three areas: strengthening the health workforce, equipping health facilities with essential medical products and technologies, and expanding evidence-based interventions that can improve outcomes for mothers and babies.
It also seeks to reinforce existing health programmes rather than operate as a standalone intervention, with stronger health systems intended to support the delivery of quality care.
Counties central to implementation
The Council of Governors’ involvement places county governments at the centre of the implementation effort, particularly in ensuring that health facilities have the personnel, equipment and supplies needed to provide safe maternity and newborn services.
The partnership builds on a broader five-year investment by the Beginnings Fund and the national government, valued at approximately US$80 million (about Sh10.4 billion).
The programme is designed to reach approximately 5.9 million women and newborns through 200 high-volume health facilities in 21 priority counties.
The targeted facilities comprise 20 Level Five hospitals, 136 Level Four hospitals and 44 high-volume health centres.
The investment is expected to support improvements in emergency obstetric and newborn care, access to essential medicines and medical equipment, and specialised training for healthcare workers.
Other priorities include strengthening referral systems, improving access to blood supplies and upgrading maternity and newborn care infrastructure.
Building on Kenya’s 2030 health targets
The partnership complements the government’s wider maternal and newborn health agenda, including the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere (EWENE) Acceleration Plan.
The national strategy seeks to improve the quality and reach of maternal and newborn services through stronger coordination, targeted investment and accountability across the health system.
For the Beginnings Fund, the approach centres on investing in people, products and systems: ensuring that trained health workers are available, facilities have the necessary supplies and equipment, and health systems can support timely and effective care.
