Maternal healthcare remains a crucial pillar of Kenya’s healthcare system, yet thousands of women continue to experience life threatening complications during pregnancy and childbirth annually.

While the country has made significant progress in expanding access to antenatal care and skilled birth attendance, challenges such as inadequate healthcare infrastructure, staff shortages, financial constraints and inequalities in access persist, impacting maternal and newborn health outcomes.

The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022 reported neonatal mortality at 21 deaths per 1,000 live births and infant mortality at 32 deaths per 1,000 live births.

These figures underscore the necessity for continued investment in quality maternal and newborn healthcare services. Although the survey did not publish a new maternal mortality ratio, it confirmed improvements in several maternal and child health indicators over the years.

Recent data from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Kenya Population and Housing Census estimate that Kenya records approximately 355 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, equating to nearly 5,000 preventable maternal deaths annually.

This equates to more than a dozen Kenyan women losing their lives daily due to pregnancy and childbirth related complications.

One of the most significant barriers to quality maternal healthcare is unequal access. Women in major towns and cities often have access to specialists, emergency obstetric care and modern medical equipment.

In contrast, expectant mothers in remote counties frequently travel long distances to reach health facilities, increasing the risk of complications during labour and delivery.

The shortage of healthcare workers further strains the system. Nurses midwives and doctors in many public hospitals attend to large numbers of patients daily resulting in long waiting times and limited personalised care. Overworked healthcare professionals also face burnout which can affect the quality of services offered to mothers and newborns.

Financial hardship remains another challenge. Although Kenya has introduced programmes to improve access to maternal healthcare many families still struggle to pay for transport laboratory tests ultrasound scans medicines and other pregnancy related expenses.

These costs often discourage women from attending all the recommended antenatal care visits.

Medical experts continue to stress the importance of early and regular antenatal care. Dr Patrick Amoth the Acting Director General for Health at Kenya’s Ministry of Health has repeatedly emphasised that timely antenatal visits allow healthcare workers to detect high blood pressure anaemia diabetes and other complications before they become life threatening, improving outcomes for both mothers and babies.

According to the Ministry of Health, the leading causes of maternal deaths in Kenya include severe bleeding haemorrhage hypertensive disorders such as preeclampsia and eclampsia infections, sepsis, unsafe abortion complications and obstructed labour.

Many of these deaths are preventable through timely access to quality emergency obstetric care.

Mental health during pregnancy is another growing concern. Anxiety depression and emotional stress associated with financial pressures family responsibilities and relationship challenges can negatively affect both mother and baby. Health experts continue to call for better integration of mental health services into routine maternal healthcare.

Healthcare professionals also emphasize the importance of respectful maternity care. Midwives and obstetricians note that women are more likely to attend antenatal clinics and deliver in health facilities when they are treated with dignity, receive clear information about their pregnancies and are involved in decisions regarding their care.

Meanwhile, the government has continued to strengthen maternal healthcare through investments in primary healthcare, digital health systems, community health promoters, improved referral networks and expanded immunisation and reproductive health programmes.

However, experts agree that achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of reducing maternal deaths will require greater investment in healthcare infrastructure, more skilled health workers, better transport systems and increased public awareness on the importance of antenatal and postnatal care.

Every expectant mother deserves safe pregnancy, skilled care during childbirth and quality postnatal services. Addressing the existing gaps in maternal healthcare will not only save the lives of mothers but also improve the health and future of the next generation of Kenyans.