Ministry Reviews Progress of Maternal and Newborn Health Initiative as Counties Step Up Implementation*

– The Ministry of Health has convened reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) stakeholders and development partners to review progress in implementing the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere (EWENE) Rapid Results Initiative (RRI), launched by President William Ruto on May 28, 2026.

The high-level meeting, led by Director-General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth, assessed achievements made since the initiative’s launch, identified implementation gaps, strengthened coordination among partners and agreed on priority actions to accelerate implementation across all 47 counties.

Dr. Amoth called for stronger collaboration and results-oriented action to ensure national commitments translate into tangible improvements in maternal and newborn health services at the county level.

He said the success of the initiative will depend on effective coordination between the national government, county administrations and development partners to guarantee that every mother and newborn has access to quality, respectful and lifesaving healthcare.

The first six months of the Rapid Results Initiative will focus on strengthening county leadership and governance, improving the quality of maternal and newborn care, increasing the availability of safe blood and essential lifesaving commodities, expanding skilled birth attendance, promoting respectful maternity care, enhancing public awareness and reinforcing accountability across the health system.

Head of the Division of Maternal and Reproductive Health, Dr. Edward Serem, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to accelerating the implementation of the EWENE initiative, noting that sustained collaboration with counties and partners will be critical in reducing maternal and newborn deaths and improving health outcomes across the country.

The Ministry of Health reiterated its commitment to supporting counties in delivering high-quality maternal and newborn health services as Kenya advances its efforts to achieve universal health coverage and improve the wellbeing of mothers and newborns nationwide.