Kenya records gains in access to maternal healthcare.
KNBS survey records lower pregnancy-related mortality and gains in facility deliveries, skilled birth attendance and antenatal care.
Kenya’s pregnancy-related mortality has fallen to 287 deaths per 100,000 live births, the latest national survey shows. The 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey recorded 362 deaths per 100,000 live births.
The new figure comes from the 2025/2026 Kenya Mini Demographic and Health Survey. It points to progress in maternal health, although pregnancy-related deaths remain a major healthcare concern.
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) officials said the survey measured pregnancy-related deaths alongside childhood and adult mortality. These updated indicators will help guide health policy and planning.
Pregnancy-related mortality falls as care access improves
The survey also records wider access to maternal healthcare, with more women delivering in health facilities. Facility deliveries reached 91 per cent, compared with 88 per cent in 2022.
Similarly, skilled birth attendance rose to 92 per cent from 89 per cent. The proportion of women attending at least four antenatal visits also increased, reaching 72 per cent from 66 per cent.
Meanwhile, World Health Organization Representative in Kenya Neema Kimambo urged practical action on the findings. She said better information must lead to improvements in health, nutrition and reproductive health services. Kimambo also called for improvements in services responding to gender-based violence.
The findings will inform national and county planning as Kenya works to strengthen maternal healthcare. Those efforts also seek to expand access to reproductive health services and reduce preventable deaths.
