Consistent antenatal care halves miscarriage rates among 3,300 mothers
Health experts note that the majority of maternal deaths and many adverse pregnancy outcomes are preventable through timely access to quality care.
What you need to know:
- According to the United Nations Population Fund, nearly 5,000 women die every year from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.
- Meanwhile, the country continues to record a maternal mortality ratio of 355 deaths per 100,000 live births, which is one of the highest rates globally.
Consistent antenatal monitoring reduced miscarriage rates by half among more than 3,300 enrolled mothers in 2025, providing new evidence that many pregnancy losses can be prevented through early detection, continuous follow-up, and prompt medical intervention.
This is according to the Lea Mama maternal health programme, run by Britam in partnership with FSD Kenya and Jacaranda Health, and supports women throughout their pregnancies. It achieved a 50 per cent reduction in miscarriages among participants, alongside a customer satisfaction score of 9.4 out of 10.
“The Lea Mama Maternal Health Programme enrolled over 3,300 mothers and facilitated over 300 deliveries in Nairobi across 32 accessible facilities. The programme has achieved a 50 per cent reduction in miscarriage rates and a 73 per cent reduction in post-delivery admissions, as well as an average Net Promoter Score of 9.4/10,” said the insurer.
This outcome comes at a time when Kenya continues to grapple with significant maternal health challenges despite years of investment in reproductive and maternal healthcare.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), nearly 5,000 women die every year from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Meanwhile, the country continues to record a maternal mortality ratio of 355 deaths per 100,000 live births, which is one of the highest rates globally.
Health experts note that the majority of maternal deaths and many adverse pregnancy outcomes are preventable through timely access to quality care. The UNFPA estimates that over 80 per cent of maternal deaths in Kenya are linked to substandard healthcare services, including delayed diagnosis, inadequate monitoring, ineffective referral systems, and delayed treatment of complications.
Antenatal care is one of the most effective ways of identifying pregnancy-related risks before they become life-threatening. It allows healthcare workers to monitor foetal growth, detect conditions such as hypertension and gestational diabetes, provide nutritional support, and recognise warning signs that require specialised care.
However, access to antenatal services is uneven across the country. Findings from the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey revealed that over one-third of pregnant women fail to complete the recommended minimum of four antenatal visits during pregnancy.
This disparity is particularly evident among women with lower levels of education and those living in underserved areas, where health facilities and specialised maternal services are less accessible.
Globally, miscarriages affect 10–20 per cent of known pregnancies. A peer-reviewed study conducted in Siaya County found a cumulative miscarriage probability of 18.9 per cent, highlighting the scale of pregnancy loss even in settings where women have access to healthcare services.
