President William Ruto has issued a firm warning to hospitals that fail to submit accurate reports on maternal and child deaths occurring within their facilities. He insisted that the government will no longer tolerate health institutions that conceal or alter such critical data.
Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday, November 19, the President announced that every public and private hospital must now submit real-time data to the newly established Digital Health Authority (DHA). The DHA will act as the central hub for tracking all maternal and newborn deaths nationwide.
Ruto pointed to worrying national statistics from the KDHS 2022, which places Kenya’s maternal mortality ratio at 355 deaths per 100,000 live births, translating to almost 6,000 mothers dying every year. According to the WHO, a maternal death is defined as any death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of pregnancy, from any cause related to, or aggravated by, the pregnancy or its management.
The KDHS further indicates that infant mortality is 32 deaths per every 1,000 live births, which is contributed to by maternal age, birth weight, education levels, place of delivery, birth spacing, and the number of antenatal visits.
“Maternal and newborn mortalities remain unacceptably high. No woman should die while giving birth, and no baby should be lost to preventable causes. The Ministry of Health is under firm instruction to deliver rapid, measurable reductions through real-time reporting of every case,” Ruto said.
He added that the government cannot allow Kenya to continue recording “upwards of 300 deaths per 100,000” when the global benchmark stands at 70. “Going forward, we have agreed with the DHA that it’s going to provide data and every facility in Kenya, public or provide, must provide data on mothers and children who die in their facilities because I know that there are facilities that continue to hide this data,” he declared.
Ruto also directed the Ministry of Health to conduct a nationwide survey to identify counties with persistently high mortality rates. The assessment will run until March 2026.
Accurate data, the President said, will guide targeted interventions to address the growing maternal mortality burden. His remarks came during an event where the WHO donated ambulances and essential medical supplies to support national referral hospitals and emergency response centres.
Officials said the equipment will bolster emergency referrals, expand oxygen capacity, and help reduce maternal deaths, particularly in high-risk counties such as Tana River, Garissa, Samburu, Marsabit, Siaya, and Elgeyo Marakwet.
Ruto recalled a moment of deep embarrassment during a trip abroad: “I was very embarrassed when I was confronted in New York by a good friend of Kenya who asked me, ‘How is it acceptable in Kenya that upwards of 300 mothers and children die in our facilities?’ and this is something that has bothered me very much.”
The post President Ruto Warns Hospitals Hiding Maternal Mortality Data appeared first on Bossnana.
