Of Ruto’s maternal health promise, mothers still die amid Kenya’s healthcare crisis
President William Ruto says he receives a report on his phone every night at 11 p.m showing how many women have given birth across Kenya, how many mothers survived and how many died, alongside the number of newborns who lived or lost their lives. “It is a stark reminder to me, and to all people […]
President William Ruto claims to receive a nightly report on maternal deaths and births in Kenya, highlighting the country's serious maternal health crisis. However, his remarks come after a 43-day nurses' strike, revealing a disconnect between monitoring mortality data and addressing the healthcare system's capacity to prevent deaths.
The strike, centered on unresolved collective bargaining agreements, left hospitals understaffed, with doctors covering for striking nurses. This lack of coordination between sectors demonstrates the government's inability to create a functioning healthcare system. A case in point is 29-year-old Penina Zawadi, who died after experiencing severe bleeding during a Caesarean section at Malindi Hospital, waiting four hours for referral to the Kilifi County Referral Hospital.
The government's new healthcare system, SHA, aims to provide instant treatment upon registration, yet financing and payment issues persist, hindering its effectiveness. The transition from Linda Mama to Linda Jamii also failed to eliminate problems like high hospital bills and additional charges for newborns. Despite launching the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere acceleration plan with additional funding, the government's success lies in whether fewer Kenyan women die during childbirth and more newborns survive.
Written by urgent.news from People Daily Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
