Kenya loses approximately 92 newborns every day, equivalent to one death every 16 minutes, as the Ministry of Health calls for stronger implementation of policies aimed at preventing maternal and newborn deaths.
The warning was issued on Tuesday, November 10, during the launch of two policy briefs addressing neonatal sepsis and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy at Serena Hotel in Nairobi.
The meeting, organised by the Ministry of Health through the Division of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health, in partnership with the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance Network (CHAMPS), brought together health officials and other stakeholders to discuss practical ways of reducing preventable deaths.
Director of Family Health Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Isaac Bashir, who represented the Director General for Health, Patrick Amoth, said Kenya's neonatal mortality rate stood at 21 deaths per 1,000 live births and had changed little since 2014.
He also put maternal mortality at approximately 335 deaths per 100,000 live births, a figure he said remained far above the global target.
Bashir said the country had developed policies to address maternal and newborn deaths, but the major challenge was ensuring they were implemented effectively.
“Kenya does not lack policies. The gap is implementation,” he said, calling for adequate financing to turn the existing guidelines into practical interventions across health facilities.
He also raised concerns over infections acquired within health facilities, warning that poor infection prevention and control practices continued to expose newborns to life-threatening infections.
He urged health workers and families to avoid the unnecessary use of antibiotics, noting that the medicines were widely available in homes and were often administered without proper medical assessment.
“Antibiotics are in every home, and that is very dangerous,” he said, adding that newborns were particularly vulnerable to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Dr Kizito, a liaison officer between Kenyatta National Hospital and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), speaking on behalf of the KEMRI Chief Executive Officer, said strengthening laboratory services was central to addressing antimicrobial resistance.
He called for more testing before antibiotics are administered, where possible, saying blood cultures and other laboratory investigations should guide treatment decisions.
“We have no way out of this issue of AMR, but central to AMR is laboratories. We need to strengthen our laboratories to fight this,” he said.
The policy brief on neonatal sepsis identifies gaps in infection prevention and control, including inadequate staff training, shortages of essential supplies, overcrowded newborn units and poor adherence to existing guidelines.
It also highlights challenges in diagnosis and treatment, particularly the limited use of culture and sensitivity tests to establish which medicines are likely to work against infections.
According to the findings, laboratory limitations and delays in receiving test results often mean that antibiotic treatment is not guided by sufficient evidence.
Dr Loise Nyanjau, who presented the policy brief on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, said the conditions could lead to serious complications for both mothers and their babies.
She noted that affected pregnancies were associated with increased chances of caesarean section, premature delivery and postpartum haemorrhage. Babies born to mothers with these conditions may also have low birth weights and face a higher risk of neonatal death.
Nyanjau said some cases were not being identified early because warning signs were sometimes mistaken for normal pregnancy symptoms.
She recommended strengthening early identification of affected mothers, ensuring health facilities have the necessary medical supplies and improving follow-up care at both facility and community levels.
Dr Fred Oluoch, Director of Public Health and Sanitation in Kisumu County, also emphasised the importance of maintaining clean healthcare environments to protect newborns from infections.
He warned that sharing medical equipment, including stethoscopes, between babies without proper cleaning could spread infections. He called for stronger enforcement of hand hygiene and other infection prevention measures.
The policy briefs were launched under the theme, “Know the Causes, Act on Evidence: Ending Preventable Maternal, Newborn, and Child Deaths in Kenya.”
The Ministry of Health said the recommendations are intended to help stakeholders understand the causes of maternal and newborn deaths and identify interventions that can prevent them.
Health officials urged immediate action to strengthen implementation, improve laboratory capacity, ensure the availability of essential supplies and promote responsible antibiotic use as part of efforts to protect mothers and newborns.
