Africa-Press – Kenya. President William Ruto has called for urgent and uncompromising action to end preventable maternal deaths, saying the loss of women during childbirth reflects weaknesses in health systems and protection for the most vulnerable.
Ruto said no woman should die while giving life.
“It is unacceptable that women should continue to die while giving birth. Protecting the lives of women and children is a responsibility we must uphold without compromise,” he said.
Speaking during a High-Level Heads of State side event on Accelerating Maternal Mortality Reduction in Africa on the sidelines of the 39th African Union Summit, the President noted that maternal and neonatal deaths go beyond health statistics and instead measure the effectiveness of national systems in delivering timely and quality care.
“In this day and age, it is unacceptable that women continue to lose their lives while giving birth. Maternal and neonatal mortality are not merely health statistics; they are a direct measure of how effectively we protect the most vulnerable and how well our systems deliver care when it matters most,” he said.
Ruto said Kenya has adopted what he termed the “Accra Reset” approach, which shifts the perception of healthcare from a consumption expense to a strategic investment critical to economic productivity and social stability.
As part of the reforms, the government has restructured health financing through the Social Health Authority (SHA) to expand prepaid access to maternal services.
The President revealed that the programme has already provided full maternal care coverage to 50,000 vulnerable adolescent mothers, with an additional 38,000 set to be enrolled.
“So far, we have facilitated direct coverage for 50,000 vulnerable adolescent mothers, guaranteeing antenatal, safe delivery and post-natal services. We are onboarding a further 38,000 mothers to ensure that cost is never the reason a young woman is denied safe childbirth,” he said.
To improve service delivery, the government is implementing a Maternal and Newborn Health Rapid Results Initiative targeting 26 high-burden counties.
The programme includes the distribution of essential medical equipment to frontline facilities to strengthen emergency obstetric and newborn care.
The President also highlighted efforts to strengthen the health workforce, noting that 721 frontline health workers have been trained, while 2,880 Community Health Promoters and 192 Community Health Assistants have been deployed to expand services at the grassroots level.
“These teams serve as the first point of contact in our villages and are supported by 25 Primary Care Networks that link local facilities to specialised referral care,” he said.
However, Ruto warned that recent reductions in global health financing, including cuts affecting the UNFPA Supplies Partnership, pose a risk to gains made in family planning, maternal health and birth spacing.
In response, Kenya is increasing domestic capacity by implementing a 40 per cent local procurement requirement to stabilise the supply of essential reproductive health commodities and reduce reliance on external funding.
The government is also strengthening health data systems through the Reproductive Age Mortality Survey to accurately track maternal deaths and their causes, with plans to digitise the information under a National Health Intelligence Platform.
All the interventions, the President said, are anchored in the National Health Compact 2026–2030, built on the principles of one plan, one budget and a unified accountability framework.
“Kenya remains firmly committed to protecting the lives and futures of women and children through sustained, system-wide health reform and accountable delivery,” Ruto said.
