Kisumu County, Monday, joined the world in marking the 2025 World Prematurity Day, with a firm call to accelerate investments in maternal and newborn health, as rising cases of preterm births continue to threaten the survival of the county’s youngest citizens.
The commemoration, held at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) under the global theme “Give preterm babies a strong start for a brighter future,” brought together health workers, parents, development partners and medical students in a spirited push to improve the outcomes of premature infants.
Despite gains in reducing maternal deaths, Kenya continues to grapple with the burden of prematurity, the leading cause of death among children under five.
National estimates show that the neonatal mortality rate stands at 21 deaths per 1,000 live births, with 37 percent of these attributed directly to preterm birth complications.
At the facility level, hospitals across Kisumu report worrying patterns: an average of five fresh stillbirths, five macerated stillbirths, and about seven early neonatal deaths every week.
Health officials say these trends mirror persistent gaps in maternal care, late antenatal attendance, undiagnosed maternal complications, and challenges in managing high-risk pregnancies.
Aga Khan Hospital consultant pediatrician and neonatologist, Dr. Elizabeth Kuta, underscored the lifesaving steps that can drastically improve survival for preterm newborns, many of which rely on early and well-coordinated maternal care.
“We must ensure that every preterm baby receives the full package of proven interventions, starting from antenatal corticosteroids, delayed cord clamping, warm delivery environments, and immediate skin-to-skin contact through Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care,” she said.
For critically ill newborns, Dr. Kuta highlighted the need for rapid stabilization with fluids, ventilation support, dextrose, and surfactants; interventions that are often limited by resource constraints.
She commended JOOTRH for expanding its Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care (IKMC) unit and investing in essential monitoring equipment, urging continued reinforcement of maternal and newborn systems countywide.
Kisumu County Director of Public Health and Sanitation, Frederick Oluoch, who presided over the event, said the lakeside county was intensifying efforts to reduce preventable neonatal deaths.
The County government, he disclosed was staffing newborn units at Lumumba Sub-county Hospital, to meet the rising demand for the services.
He added that JOOTRH, which was recently taken over by the Ministry of Health as a National Referral Hospital, was establishing two new Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) with an additional one at the Kisumu County Referral Hospital (KCRH).
Other interventions, he said, include the operationalization of the Kombewa Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, to expand newborn services in Seme and Kisumu West Sub-counties.
Oluoch noted that the County was increasing its stock of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines, procuring ventilators, improving availability of surfactants and parenteral nutrition, and strengthening supply chains for essential newborn commodities.
He urged healthcare workers, to maximize available resources and encourage women to attend antenatal clinics early.
by Chris Mahandara
