Kenya's maternal mortality rate improves as Africa faces ongoing crisis
Each year, an estimated 178,000 mothers and one million newborns die in the Africa region – many from preventable causes.
What you need to know:
- Despite Kenya's progress, the burden remains heavy. Unicef data shows that 7,764 Kenyan women have died during childbirth since 2020, with the lifetime risk of maternal death in one year standing at 52 per cent.
Kenya has made significant progress in reducing maternal deaths, with the mortality rate decreasing to 530 deaths per 100,000 live births from 594 last year. This is according to the "2025 State of African Children Statistical Compendium" released on Monday by Unicef.
This 11 per cent improvement comes after Kenya was ranked fourth in maternal mortality by USAID's 2024 report on Preventing Child and Maternal Deaths, which identified the country among the top five in Africa where women die due to childbirth complications.
"Forty per cent of maternal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa are due to postpartum hemorrhage (28.4 per cent) and pre-eclampsia (15.7 per cent)," Unicef reported.
"Between 2003 and 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 9.6 per cent of maternal deaths were due to abortive pregnancy outcomes, dropping to 7.7 per cent from 2009 to 2020."
Globally, nearly 300,000 women die annually due to pregnancy or childbirth-related complications. Additionally, over two million babies die in their first month while approximately two million more are stillborn — roughly one preventable death every seven seconds.
Despite Kenya's progress, the burden remains heavy. Unicef data shows that 7,764 Kenyan women have died during childbirth since 2020, with the lifetime risk of maternal death in one year standing at 52 per cent.
The African region has reduced maternal mortality by 40 per cent between 2000 and 2023, from 727 to 442 deaths per 100,000 live births. However, the region still accounts for 70 per cent of global maternal deaths.
"Each year, an estimated 178,000 mothers and one million newborns die in the Africa region – many from preventable causes," note experts from Unicef, the African Union, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
Unicef data from 2017 to 2024 show that 98 per cent of expectant Kenyan women attended at least one antenatal clinic visit during their pregnancy. The data further reveals that 66 per cent managed to attend four clinic visits throughout their pregnancy term. According to the report, 89 per cent of Kenyan women were attended to by a skilled birth attendant during delivery, while 61 per cent delivered in a healthcare facility.
The statistics indicate that nine per cent underwent C-section delivery, while 83 per cent of newborns received post-natal health checks. Additionally, 78 per cent of new mothers received post-natal care after giving birth.
According to João Pedro Azevedo, Unicef's chief statistician, the African region needs a 12-fold increase in its annual reduction rate to reach the Sustainable Development Goal target of fewer than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.
"In 2023, the maternal death risk for a 15-year-old was one in 57, down from one in 19 in 1990, compared to one in 200 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and one in 6,390 in the European Region," Azevedo explained.
The average Annual Rate of Reduction in maternal mortality increased to 3.5 per cent from 2016 to 2023, up from 1.5 per cent between 2000 and 2015. Overall, from 2000 to 2023, the rate averaged 2.2 per cent, far below the 26.3 per cent needed to achieve the 2030 SDG target.
At the current reduction pace, the region is projected to have nearly 350 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030, five times higher than the SDG target.
Similarly, although stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates have declined by 30 per cent and 33 per cent respectively between 2000 and 2023, sub-Saharan Africa still accounts for 47 per cent of global stillbirths and 46 per cent of newborn deaths.
This year's World Health Day, marked under the theme "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures," calls for increased efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, acting WHO Regional Director for Africa, emphasised that pregnancy and childbirth remain life-threatening events in many places unnecessarily.
"Every dollar invested in maternal and newborn health delivers major returns: healthier families, stronger societies, and sustainable economic growth," Dr Ihekweazu stated during Monday's commemorations.
He identified key barriers to progress including inadequate financing, weak governance, health workforce shortages, and service disruptions caused by disease outbreaks and conflicts. Women and children in fragile and crisis-affected settings are particularly vulnerable.
WHO is supporting countries across Africa in implementing various interventions, including developing maternal and newborn health acceleration plans. The organisation is also working on implementing antenatal and postnatal care guidelines throughout the continent. Increasing access to skilled health personnel and emergency obstetric care remains a priority for the health body. WHO is additionally focusing on expanding specialised care for small and sick newborns in the region. Addressing social and economic drivers of health inequities forms part of the organisation's comprehensive approach to reducing maternal mortality.
"More than 60 per cent of countries in the African region now report that over 80 per cent of births are attended by skilled health personnel, a significant improvement from just 28 per cent in 2010," WHO noted. "However, progress varies across the region, with rural and crisis-affected areas continuing to face acute service shortage gaps."
