The initiative, valued at $80 million, is expected to reach 5.9 million mothers and newborns with improved healthcare by 2030 and prevent an estimated 46,494

Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr Ouma Oluga during a consultative meeting with the Beginnings Fund team / HANDOUT

Kenya and the Beginnings Fund are advancing an Sh10.4 billion five-year investment plan aimed at reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths across the country.

Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr Ouma Oluga held a consultative meeting with the Beginnings Fund team, led by Chief Executive Officer Alice Kangethe, at Afya House to discuss implementation of the investment plan.

The meeting also brought together Dr David Gathara and Dr Gladwel Gatheca, representing the Ministry of Health's Director of Family Health, to deliberate on coordination mechanisms and the implementation framework.

Co-designed with the Kenyan government, the plan targets 21 counties with a high burden of maternal and newborn deaths and 200 priority health facilities.

These include 20 Level 5 hospitals, 136 Level 4 hospitals and 44 high-volume health centres.

The investment seeks to improve the quality of care available to women during pregnancy and childbirth, as well as newborns requiring medical attention.

Key interventions will include strengthening emergency obstetric and newborn care, ensuring the availability of essential medical supplies and technologies, and training and supporting healthcare workers.

The programme will also focus on improving referral systems, access to blood supplies and maternity and newborn care infrastructure.

The Ministry of Health and the Beginnings Fund will further prioritise specialised training for health workers involved in maternal and newborn care to improve service delivery and patient outcomes.

Another component will involve integrating maternal and newborn health data into the TaifaCare system to strengthen monitoring, accountability and the assessment of healthcare performance.

The investment plan is expected to complement the government's Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Investment Case and Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere Acceleration Plan.

These initiatives form part of ongoing efforts to improve access to quality healthcare and reduce preventable deaths among mothers and newborns.

The ministry and the Beginnings Fund will establish joint governance arrangements to oversee implementation, with Oluga designated to co-chair the Steering Committee.

Implementation will be guided by clearly defined responsibilities, measurable milestones and performance-based financing.

County governments will also participate in the programme to ensure interventions reflect local healthcare priorities and strengthen coordination between national and county authorities.

The plan further provides for progressive domestic financing to help sustain the gains beyond the five-year investment period.

The government and the fund are seeking to align implementation with national and county priorities while strengthening accountability for results.

The investment comes amid continued efforts to improve maternal and newborn survival through better-equipped health facilities, skilled healthcare personnel and timely access to emergency services.

By targeting high-burden counties and priority facilities, the programme aims to address gaps in the quality and availability of essential maternal and newborn healthcare.

The consultation reaffirmed the importance of government and partner collaboration in accelerating progress towards safer pregnancies, childbirth and improved newborn survival across Kenya.