The government has outlined a series of measures aimed at reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths, with 26 high-burden counties targeted for interventions under the Every Woman, Every Newborn, Everywhere (EWENE) programme.
Speaking during the second day of the inaugural 2026 Kenya Health Summit, Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said the government was prioritising maternal and newborn survival as part of President William Ruto’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Duale said discussions during a high-level session attended by First Lady Rachel Ruto focused on expanding access to quality maternal care, strengthening referral systems and ensuring women and newborns receive timely lifesaving services.
The government is implementing the 90.90.80.80 coverage target across the 26 counties identified as having the highest burden, while a six-month Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) is being used to accelerate interventions.
According to Duale, the government has allocated KSh4 billion for delivery and essential newborn care at primary healthcare level, KSh1 billion for lifesaving commodities and KSh2.5 billion for family planning services.
A further KSh5 billion is being allocated annually to facilitate the recruitment of an additional 5,000 nurses.
The Cabinet Secretary said the Social Health Authority (SHA) has reimbursed more than KSh17 billion for maternal health services, with another KSh2 billion specifically allocated to maternity and newborn care.
Duale cited Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi as an example of progress, saying the facility, which handles more than 16,000 deliveries annually, has recorded nearly zero maternal deaths over the past 18 months following sustained investment and improvements in quality care.
The government has also trained more than 300 health workers, conducted emergency simulation drills in 29 counties and launched newborn-care mentorship programmes in 13 counties.
Sickle cell disease was another major focus at the summit, with 17 counties identified as high-burden areas. Duale said approximately 48,000 children are born with the condition annually, with newborn screening, early diagnosis and specialised treatment among the interventions being expanded.
He said the launch of Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) and RRI dashboards will allow authorities to track deaths daily, identify gaps and respond more quickly.
The initiatives are being supported by the SHA 922 Lifeline and National Ambulance Dispatch Centre, which the government says will strengthen emergency response and help prevent avoidable deaths.