A new maternal and newborn health initiative, the Lea Salama Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) Project, has been launched on Thursday 2nd April, 2026.
This is targeting Nairobi and Kwale Counties in a bid to address Kenya’s persistently high maternal and neonatal mortality rates.
Kenya’s Maternal Mortality Ratio currently stands at 355 deaths per 100,000 live births, while the Neonatal Mortality Rate is 21 per 1,000 live births, according to 2019 data.
The situation is more dire in the project’s target counties, with Kwale recording an MMR of 464 and Nairobi 326.
Experts warn that for Kenya to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal target of 70 or fewer maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030, the country would need to accelerate its annual rate of reduction by approximately five times its current pace.
The project, a partnership between UNFPA and the Britam Foundation, leverages UNFPA’s technical leadership in Sexual and Reproductive Health alongside Britam Foundation’s strategic healthcare investment.
It primarily targets vulnerable pregnant women and underserved communities, as well as frontline health providers and facilities in both counties.
At the heart of the initiative is a recognition that most maternal and neonatal deaths are preventable, with the majority rooted in the “three delays” model, delays in seeking care, reaching a health facility, and receiving quality Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC).
The project has set three key objectives to be achieved by July 2027: strengthening health system capacity to deliver quality MNH services with a focus on EmONC; ensuring targeted facilities consistently conduct Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) audits, with all near-miss cases resulting in data-driven remedial action; and significantly increasing demand for and uptake of quality MNH services among women in both counties.
To achieve these goals, the project will onboard up to 10,000 pregnant women on the PROMPTS digital platform, scale up EmONC mentorship and skills drills, introduce innovative technologies such as point-of-care ultrasound (OPOCUS) in antenatal care clinics, and strengthen the use of routine health data for decision-making through platforms including eCHIS and KHIS.
The initiative is ultimately expected to deliver improved access to antenatal, skilled birth attendance, and postnatal care services, while creating a scalable model that can inform broader maternal and newborn health investments across Kenya.
