Inside Kenya’s maternal health gap, the fight to save mothers and newborns

In Kenya, the difference is stark. A woman giving birth in Nyeri County is nearly nine times less likely to die from pregnancy and childbirth complications than a woman in Tana River and four times less likely than a woman in Samburu.

But what is Nyeri doing differently? And in Tana River and Samburu, how are health workers, county governments and communities working to close the gap?

Citizen TV travelled to the three counties to uncover the disparities, the challenges and the interventions beginning to make a difference, and to explore what lessons Kenya can draw as it works towards its 2028 commitment to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths.

In Sombo Village, Tana River County, Soba Adhan has become a lifeline for expectant mothers.

The calls he receives for pick-ups and drop-offs are unlike ordinary transport requests. His clients are pregnant women and new mothers travelling to health facilities for antenatal care, heading to maternity to deliver or returning for postnatal check-ups.

For many, Soba's boda ambulance is the crucial link between home and life-saving maternal care.

Source: Citizen Digital