Lessons from the Grave through County Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR)

Leaders and health advocates at the Devolution Conference 2025 issued a strong call for urgent action to eliminate preventable maternal and newborn deaths in Kenya. With an estimated 5,680 maternal deaths and 33,600 newborn deaths annually, these figures are more than mere statistics—they represent lives cut short, devastated families, and communities left to grieve.

These alarming figures necessitate urgent and decisive action from both the government and policymakers. Participants emphasised that Kenya cannot afford to continue business as usual. Preventing maternal and newborn deaths requires more than funding—it demands partnership, accountability, and commitment at all levels.

Grounded in real stories, lived experiences, and a shared urgency to do better, the session underscored the critical role of Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR). County leaders, professional associations, civil society, and development partners affirmed that MPDSR must not only identify where health systems fail but must also translate lessons from the grave into action that saves lives.

At the core of the event was the Every Woman, Every Newborn, Everywhere (EWENE) framework, a rights-based, data-driven approach that builds on the global Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP) and Sustainable Development Goal 3. While Kenya remains off track, participants stressed that counties hold the key to turning this around. The framework was positioned as a rallying point to guide investments, strengthen accountability, and ensure that women, newborns, and adolescents are no longer left behind.

Speakers highlighted misplaced county priorities in budgeting, noting that while facilities remain under-equipped and understaffed, mothers and newborns continue to bear the ultimate consequences. They insisted that advocacy must move beyond rhetoric into concrete investments in quality maternal care—equipping facilities, employing the right personnel, and ensuring that health professionals uphold the highest standards of care and respect for patients.

A central message was clear: sustainability requires county ownership. For maternal and newborn health interventions to have a lasting impact, projects must be designed and led in partnership with counties, aligned with their priorities, and integrated into local health systems. As one insight from the session put it, “For donor-funded projects to be truly sustainable, they must be county-led—anchored in local priorities, owned by communities, and integrated into county systems.”

The call to action from this session is unambiguous:

• Invest in prevention by strengthening primary health care and ensuring women receive care before, during, and after pregnancy.
• Equip facilities and staff them adequately, guaranteeing that every woman has access to skilled, compassionate care.
• Translate MPDSR findings into action at the county level, ensuring no death goes unexamined and no lesson is wasted.
• Strengthen accountability and governance, confronting corruption and inefficiency that rob mothers and newborns of their right to life.
• Embed sustainability by making all interventions county-owned, people-centred, and integrated into Kenya’s broader health systems.

As the side session concluded, a shared vision echoed through the room: one of zero preventable maternal deaths, zero newborn deaths, and zero adolescent deaths. This is not an aspiration; it is a moral imperative and a test of Kenya’s resolve to ensure that health systems work for the most vulnerable, uphold dignity, and guarantee the right to life for every mother and child.

Author: Edna Mosiara, Ag. Communications Manager, Amref Health Africa in Kenya