Murang’a: The Ministry of Health has unveiled a comprehensive plan designed to prevent preterm births, which have been identified as a leading cause of neonatal deaths in Kenya. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced the initiative, known as the National Every Woman Every Newborn (EWENE) Acceleration Plan, which aligns with the global EWENE agenda and aims for implementation across all levels of healthcare, from community clinics to county hospitals.
According to Kenya News Agency, Duale’s remarks were delivered by Dr. Nazila Ganatra, Director of Health Products and Technologies, during World Prematurity Day celebrations at Murang’a Level 5 Hospital. The plan emphasizes improving facility readiness, enhancing health-worker skills, supporting families, and ensuring public accountability to prevent any newborn from being left behind.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health reveal that 92 children are born prematurely each day in Kenya, with Murang’a County recording 20 to 30 preterm births each month. Duale emphasized that three-quarters of neonatal deaths could be prevented through cost-effective interventions. Neonatal mortality currently accounts for 51 percent of under-five deaths and 66 percent of infant deaths in the country.
Duale also highlighted ongoing efforts to upgrade more than 80 percent of sub-county health facilities and all county hospitals, with a goal of saving tens of thousands of newborn lives by 2030. This initiative promises significant social and economic returns. The plan includes a national mentorship package for newborn care and establishes national norms and standards for newborn care to ensure consistent quality across all facilities.
The Ministry of Health is committed to reversing newborn and maternal mortality rates by integrating EWENE actions within the maternal and perinatal death surveillance response (MPDSR) framework, fostering a culture of no-blame and rapid response. Community Health Promoters will be incorporated for early post-discharge follow-up, and quarterly county EWENE scorecards will be published to address gaps swiftly.
To prevent premature births, the plan advocates for social and behavioral changes such as smoking cessation, increased physical activity, improved nutrition, Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) immediately after birth, and strong family support for mothers and newborns.
Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata announced several initiatives to improve maternal healthcare in the county, including expanding mother and newborn units, increasing incubators, and providing free iron and folic acid supplements to expectant mothers. The county has also upgraded health facilities and acquired essential newborn care equipment like radiant warmers and continuous positive airway pressure machines.
Country Director of Nutrition International, Kenya, Ms. Martha Nyagaya, expressed her organization’s commitment to collaborating with both national and county governments to give every newborn a fair chance at life. She highlighted the global challenge of preterm births, noting that one in ten babies worldwide is born prematurely, often leading to life-threatening conditions such as respiratory distress and hypothermia.
Ms. Nyagaya revealed that Nutrition International has been instrumental in training healthcare workers on comprehensive newborn care and supporting initiatives like the baby-friendly hospital program, which promotes early breastfeeding and proper maternal, infant, and young child nutrition.
