Sh6.8b programme to help reduce maternal, infant deaths
Health & Science
By
Mercy Kahenda
| Mar 23, 2026
Kenya set to receive Sh6.8b funding to tackle maternal and newborn deaths. [iStockphoto]
Kenya is among seven African countries set to benefit from a $52.5 million (Sh6.8 billion) investment aimed at reducing maternal and newborn deaths.
The funding, announced by Unitaid, comes as health experts and government officials meet in Nairobi for an International Maternal and Newborn Health Conference focused on addressing high death rates among mothers and infants.
The initiative is funded by Unitaid with support from the Gates Foundation.
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Other countries to benefit from the initiative include Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania, Nigeria, and South Africa.
The program, implemented under the sustained uptake of products for pre-eclampsia and maternal anaemia (SUPREME) will focus on improving availability, affordability and accessibility of essential maternal health tools.
According to a Unitaid statement, the initiative will be implemented in partnership with Amref Health Africa and Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI).
Under the arrangement, CHAI will support product development, pricing and supply, while Amref will lead country-level implementation, including research and integration into health systems.
In a statement, Unitaid said the funding will strengthen antenatal care services and expand access to essential maternal health tools, particularly in underserved facilities.
The initiative will also support the rollout of proven and emerging interventions to improve early detection and treatment of pre-eclampsia and anaemia, among the leading causes of maternal and newborn deaths.
These interventions include the use of low-dose aspirin to prevent pre-eclampsia, blood pressure monitoring devices, anaemia diagnostics, and treatments such as intravenous iron.
“Magnesium sulfate can more than halve the risk of life-threatening seizures during pregnancy when given to women with severe pre-eclampsia,” Unitaid said in a statement.
Pre-eclampsia, a hypertensive disorder marked by high blood pressure, is responsible for tens of thousands of maternal deaths and about half a million newborn deaths globally each year.
“It is unacceptable that women are still dying from pregnancy complications we know how to treat,” said Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid.
Marie Chantale Lepine, Vice President of the Global Markets Team, CHAI, said access to maternal commodities and medicines remains a bigger gap, an issue that should be addressed.
“Turning investment into lives saved depends on what is actually available when a woman walks into a facility,” said Lepine.
Amref Health Africa Group CEO Githinji Gitahi noted that while solutions exist, access remains the biggest challenge.
“The medicines and diagnostics are available, but ensuring they reach women at the right time and place is critical. Through this initiative, we will work with governments, health workers and communities to strengthen antenatal care systems,” said Dr Gitahi.