The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has sounded the alarm over the country’s high rate of preventable newborn deaths.
KEMRI Director General Prof. Elijah Songok said more than 3,000 infants die every year, painting a grim picture of the country’s neonatal care.
In a presentation during the 12th Devolution Conference in Homa Bay County, Prof. Songok said it was unfortunate to lose so many lives, most from causes that can be averted through timely interventions.
Intrauterine hypoxia, he said, has been established as the leading cause, with data from the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) study in Western Kenya indicating that 64 per cent of stillbirths are preventable.
Untreated maternal infections such as syphilis and malaria, along with hypertension and anaemia, he added, have also been flagged as key risk factors—all manageable with proper care.
A sub-study in Kisumu and Siaya counties, he said, revealed that one in three newborn deaths is linked to complicated deliveries, while many preterm infants die from hospital-acquired infections due to weak neonatal care protocols.
KEMRI’s synthesis of 80 studies, he said, found that only 54 per cent of expectant mothers complete the recommended four antenatal visits, often due to distance, cost, drug stockouts, health worker shortages, and cultural barriers such as stigma against male involvement in antenatal care.
“Behind each statistic is a family forever changed. Our research shows we have the tools and knowledge to save these lives. What we need now is decisive, collective action,” said Prof. Songok.
The institute, he said, has proposed a four-point plan to reverse the crisis: strengthen primary healthcare, harness technology and data to flag high-risk pregnancies, invest in health workers, and foster multi-sectoral partnerships to finance and improve care.
He added that KEMRI will translate recent findings on malaria in pregnancy, preterm care, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission into updated national guidelines while scaling up innovations to reverse the tide.
“This is not KEMRI’s fight alone. We must ensure every pregnancy is safe, guarantee skilled birth attendance, and give every newborn the best start in life. A mother’s health is the foundation of a healthy nation—let’s build that foundation together,” he said.
By Chris Mahandara
