By Ashley Kariuki
The ministry of health has secured a major funding boost of USD 80 million for Kenya’s maternal and new born health sector.
This follows a bilateral engagement between the health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale with Alice Kang’ethe, CEO of the Beginnings Fund, and David Gathara, the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, to discuss strategic partnerships aimed at accelerating progress in maternal and new-born care across the country.
“Held a bilateral meeting with Alice Kang’ethe, CEO of the Beginnings Fund and David Gathara, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, to explore strategic partnerships aimed at accelerating progress in maternal and newborn health in Kenya,” Duale stated.
Kenya is one of the first five countries selected to benefit from a USD 500 million collaborative fund, with USD 80 million earmarked for investment in the country over the next five years.
The initiative is part of a broader effort to improve maternal and new-born outcomes across 10 African countries.
Founding donors of the fund include the Mohammed Bin Zayed Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Delta Philanthropies, ELMA Foundation, Gates Foundation, and other global partners.
“The Fund aims to save 300,000 lives and ensure quality care for 34 million women and new-borns by 2030,” the Health CS noted.
In Kenya, the program will initially focus on 15 high-burden counties, with five additional counties prioritized based on equity and guidance from the government. These counties have been identified as contributing to at least 50% of maternal and new-born deaths and stillbirths.
Key components of the initiative include scaling up evidence-based interventions, equipping high-volume facilities where 87% of births occur expanding and skilling the maternal health workforce, improving infrastructure and referral systems, and strengthening the availability of blood and blood products.
“I welcomed the proposal, reaffirming our commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and called for deeper collaboration to tackle maternal and new-born mortality across the country,” Duale said.
He was accompanied during the meeting by Dr. Isaak Bashir, Director of Family Health at the Ministry of Health.
The funding and targeted interventions mark a significant stride toward reducing preventable maternal and new-born deaths in Kenya and ensuring that quality healthcare reaches the most underserved populations.