Kenya is one of the top five African countries with the highest recorded number of maternal and newborn fatalities.
According to a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) report on avoiding maternal and child mortality, Kenya ranks fourth in the world with 594 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Kenya will now be unable to reach the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on time.
Kenya continues to confront major challenges due to high infant mortality rates, even with advancements in improving the health of mothers and newborns. Kenya’s maternal mortality rate is a major public health concern, as reported by the Ministry of Health, which indicates that 15 out of 47 counties account for 98.7% of all maternal deaths in the nation.
These high-burden counties have poor health outcomes for mothers and newborns due to a range of problems, including historical marginalization, poverty, insecurity, and inadequate infrastructure.
With no country exceeding a ratio of 140 deaths per 100,000 live births, the global goal for maternal mortality by 2030 is to reduce the average maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that each year, 1.9 million stillbirths, 4.9 million children die before turning five from mostly preventable causes, and 287,000 women worldwide pass away during pregnancy or childbirth. According to the group, women are disproportionately vulnerable to difficulties during and after pregnancy and childbirth, many of which may be avoided or treated.
According to the WHO, if untreated, certain women’s pre-existing diseases may get worse during pregnancy. About 75% of maternal deaths are caused by disorders connected to pregnancy, including high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia), significant bleeding (often after childbirth), infections (usually after childbirth), and delivery-associated issues. Neonatal mortality, which accounts for 60% of newborn deaths in middle- and lower-income nations like Kenya, is still a serious public health concern globally, according to the WHO.