Nairobi: Kisumu County joined the global community in marking the 2025 World Prematurity Day, calling for increased investment in maternal and newborn health as preterm births pose a rising threat to the survival of the county’s youngest residents. The event was hosted at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) under the theme ‘Give preterm babies a strong start for a brighter future,’ and brought together health workers, parents, development partners, and medical students to advocate for improved outcomes for premature infants.
According to Kenya News Agency, despite strides in reducing maternal deaths, Kenya faces challenges with prematurity, the leading cause of death among children under five. National data indicates a neonatal mortality rate of 21 deaths per 1,000 live births, with 37 percent attributed to preterm birth complications. In Kisumu, hospitals report an average of five fresh stillbirths, five macerated stillbirths, and approximately seven early neonatal deaths week
ly. Health officials attribute these trends to gaps in maternal care, late antenatal visits, undiagnosed maternal issues, and challenges in managing high-risk pregnancies.
Dr. Elizabeth Kuta, a consultant pediatrician and neonatologist at Aga Khan Hospital, emphasized the importance of early and coordinated maternal care for enhancing preterm newborn survival. She highlighted interventions such as antenatal corticosteroids, delayed cord clamping, warm delivery environments, and skin-to-skin contact through Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care. For critically ill newborns, Dr. Kuta stressed the need for rapid stabilization with fluids, ventilation support, dextrose, and surfactants, though resource limitations often hinder these efforts.
Dr. Kuta praised JOOTRH for expanding its Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care unit and investing in vital monitoring equipment, urging continual strengthening of maternal and newborn systems countywide. Frederick Oluoch, Kisumu County Director of Public Health and Sanitation, who led t
he event, announced that the county is intensifying efforts to reduce preventable neonatal deaths. The County government is staffing newborn units at Lumumba Sub-county Hospital to address rising service demand.
Oluoch revealed that JOOTRH, recently designated as a National Referral Hospital by the Ministry of Health, is establishing two new Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), with an additional unit at the Kisumu County Referral Hospital (KCRH). Other measures include operationalizing the Kombewa Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to expand newborn services in Seme and Kisumu West Sub-counties.
Furthermore, Oluoch noted the County’s efforts to increase the stock of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines, procure ventilators, improve the availability of surfactants and parenteral nutrition, and strengthen supply chains for essential newborn commodities. He urged healthcare workers to optimize resources and encourage early antenatal clinic attendance among women.