President William Ruto has warned hospitals in Kenya against concealing data on maternal and child mortality, mandating submission to the Digital Health Authority. He issued these directives during a press briefing on November 19, 2025, emphasizing real-time reporting to reduce preventable deaths. The move comes amid high maternal mortality rates, with the government planning a nationwide survey by March 2026.
President William Ruto addressed the issue of maternal and child mortality during a press briefing on Wednesday, November 19, 2025. He warned hospitals that fail to submit accurate data on deaths in their facilities, stating that all public and private hospitals must report to the Digital Health Authority (DHA). "We cannot be losing upwards of 300 in 100,000, while the benchmark is 70. Going forward, we have agreed with the DHA that it's going to provide data and every facility in Kenya, public or private, must provide data on mothers and children who die in their facilities because I know that there are facilities that continue to hide this data," Ruto said.
According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022, Kenya's maternal mortality ratio (MMR) stands at 355 deaths per 100,000 live births, equating to about 6,000 deaths annually. The infant mortality rate is 32 deaths per 1,000 live births. Key contributing factors include the mother's age, birth size, maternal education, place of delivery, birth intervals, and number of antenatal care visits. Maternal deaths, defined by the World Health Organization as occurring during pregnancy or within 42 days post-termination from related causes, are often preventable due to poor-quality care, insufficient providers, or lack of supplies.
"Maternal and newborn mortalities remain unacceptably high. No woman should die while giving birth, and no baby should be lost to preventable causes. The Ministry of Health is under firm instruction to deliver rapid, measurable reductions through real-time reporting of every case," the President added. He directed the Ministry of Health to survey all counties by March 2026 to identify high-mortality areas, using the data to address health sector gaps that have worsened in recent years.
The directives were issued at an event where the World Health Organization handed over ambulances and medical supplies to the Ministry of Health for national referral facilities and emergency response centers. This equipment aims to enhance emergency referral care, oxygen capacity, and maternal mortality reduction, particularly in hardest-hit counties like Tana River, Garissa, Samburu, Marsabit, Siaya, and Elgeyo Marakwet. Ruto shared a personal anecdote: "I was very embarrassed when I was confronted in New York by a good friend of Kenya who asked me, 'How is it acceptable in Kenya that upwards of 300 mothers and children die in our facilities?' and this is something that has bothered me very much."