Lead image for Maternal deaths drop by 6.8pc, but home births surge as SHA replaces Linda Mama.
Fewer mothers and babies died during childbirth last year, according to a new report on the State of Devolution released by the Council of Governors.
The report shows maternal deaths declined by 6.8 per cent in the 2025/2026 financial year, dropping to 2,656 from 2,851 recorded in 2024/2025. Neonatal deaths (infants aged 0 to 28 days) also fell sharply, from 6,909 to 5,777 over the same period. Additionally, teenage pregnancies declined by nearly 20 per cent nationwide.
"This reflects progress in reproductive and maternal health interventions by county governments," said Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi Jiir, who chairs the Council of Governors.
Counties attribute this progress to the expanded rollout of the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) system, which also recorded notable improvements.
According to the World Health Organization, MPDSR is a quality improvement intervention that enables the identification, notification, quantification, and determination of causes and avoidability of maternal and neonatal deaths and stillbirths, with the goal of guiding preventive measures.
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Unlike the previous financial year, when only 34 counties had active MPDSR initiatives, all 47 counties now monitor maternal and neonatal deaths weekly and conduct debriefs to address systemic gaps.
Governor Abdullahi noted that counties including Kiambu, Makueni, Homa Bay, Murang'a, Machakos, and Kirinyaga reported prolonged periods without any maternal deaths during the year under review.