By The PPH Foundation

As Kenya celebrates Jamhuri Day under the theme of national unity and progress, the PPH Foundation welcomes significant advances by the government in the effort to end postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in the country.

The recent actions by the Ministry of Health signal a renewed commitment to maternal health. Under the leadership of Aden Duale, the Health Cabinet Secretary, the Ministry has formally declared maternal health a national priority and committed to a life‑course approach to women’s health, from adolescence, through pregnancy, childbirth and beyond. This, he said, will ensure that women receive continuous care before, during and after childbirth.

Among the Ministry’s new interventions is a nationwide programme to curb maternal and newborn deaths. The measures include rolling out a national Reproductive‑Age Mortality Survey (RAMOS) to establish accurate data on causes of death, digital strengthening of death surveillance and response systems, enforcement of higher clinical standards, ensuring blood and oxygen availability, 24‑hour theatre readiness, neonatal resuscitation, respectful maternity care, and consultant backup for emergency care.

Supporting these reforms is the Ministry’s broader strategy to implement universal health coverage (UHC) under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), through the newly established Social Health Authority (SHA). The reforms aim to expand health financing, improve regulatory oversight, and ensure equitable access to quality care for all Kenyans, including pregnant women and newborns.

The PPH Foundation recognises and commends the commitment of both Hon. Aden Duale and Patrick Amoth, the Director General for Health, for their visible efforts to prioritise maternal health within national policy and action frameworks. Their leadership, the Foundation believes, could mark a turning point in the fight against PPH and other maternal health challenges.

On this Jamhuri Day, as the nation reflects on its journey since independence, the Foundation calls on all stakeholders, health workers, county governments, civil society, communities and families, to join hands and scale up these reforms so that no mother loses her life to PPH. Only through sustained commitment and collective action can the vision of a future without preventable maternal deaths become a reality.

Happy Jamhuri Day to all Kenyans.

Sources:

• Ministry of Health, Kenya. Health CS pledges to champion maternal health as a national priority, 2025
• Ministry of Health, Kenya. Government announces new measures to curb maternal and newborn deaths, 2025
• Ministry of Health, Kenya. CS Aden Duale pledges to advance health reforms aligned to BETA agenda, 2025