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Revealed: The five killers threatening mothers in Kisumu and Siaya
Syphilis remains one of the major maternal health concerns in Kisumu and Siaya counties.
What you need to know:
- The research also revealed an increase in hypertensive disorders, including pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, alongside bleeding complications.
Anaemia, HIV, malaria, helminths (parasitic worms), and syphilis remain the major maternal health concerns in Kisumu and Siaya counties, a new report has revealed.
The findings follow research by the Kenya Medical Research Institute and George Washington University, US, conducted in six health facilities across the two counties to highlight maternal and child health challenges.
According to the study's interim findings, 32 per cent of the pregnant women involved suffered from anaemia.
The report revealed that malaria cases in the study population stood at 10.2 per cent, with Siaya recording a slightly higher prevalence of 20.5 per cent.
Meanwhile, the overall HIV prevalence among the population was 12 per cent, though some study sites within Kisumu reported rates as high as 17 per cent, according to Dr Florence Aweyo, speaking on behalf of the investigator team.
"In Siaya County, HIV prevalence among women ranged between 12 and 15 per cent, while syphilis infections were recorded at 0.7 per cent," Dr Aweyo stated.
She also highlighted other health conditions, including helminths, which had an overall prevalence of 3.6 per cent, with some sites recording figures as high as 8.4 per cent.
Cases of schistosomiasis (bilharzia) stood at 2.4 per cent, though in certain areas, the prevalence was higher at 3.4 per cent.
The research also revealed an increase in hypertensive disorders, including pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, alongside bleeding complications.
"Maternal hypertension is linked to increased risk of emergency caesarean section, preterm birth, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), and maternal near-miss rates," says the report.
The study, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, also linked stillbirths and neonatal deaths recorded during the period to maternal hypertension.
The report, dubbed the Pregnancy Risk Infant Surveillance and Measurement Alliance (PRISMA) Maternal and Newborn Health study, aimed to improve global understanding of key
risk factors for morbidity and mortality among pregnant women during the three-year antenatal and postnatal care period.
The study also sought to provide population-based baseline estimates of key maternal and child health outcomes to inform future interventions. PRISMA additionally aimed to collect data enabling the application of novel analytical techniques to create risk prediction tools.
Apart from Kenya, the research was also conducted in India, Ghana, Pakistan, and Zambia, according to Dr Aweyo.
In Kenya, the study enrolled 2,700 women from 20 weeks of gestation and followed them through one year postpartum.
The findings linked maternal hypertension among the study population to an increased risk of early neonatal death, prematurity, and low birth weight.
"The study also found that breastfeeding initiation within the first hour of birth, a critical step for infant health, is only slightly above 50 per cent across most monitored facilities," said Dr Aweyo.
On maternal outcomes, the study found that 1.6 per cent of the study population suffered antepartum hemorrhage, five per cent presented with PPH, and 6.6 per cent were diagnosed with gestational hypertension. Additionally, 2.8 per cent had gestational diabetes, 1.3 per cent had chronic hypertension, and 2.2 per cent presented with preeclampsia.
"The study is working with Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital and Kisumu County to identify intervention areas, including providing ultrasound, blood
pressure equipment, and machines to check newborn oxygen levels," said Dr Aweyo.
The study aligns with the Kenya Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere Acceleration Plan 2025–2027.
Kenya continues to record high maternal mortality, currently at 355 per 100,000 live births, neonatal mortality at 21 per 1,000 live births, and stillbirths at 19 per 1,000.
According to the plan, these deaths result from PPH, hypertensive disorders, prematurity, intrapartum asphyxia, and sepsis; all preventable conditions.
The acceleration plan focuses on women and newborns in health facilities where the potential for rapid and measurable impact is greatest, aiming to improve maternal outcomes.
