Kenya faces an "unacceptably high" maternal mortality rate of 355 deaths per 100,000 live births, a crisis rooted in systemic and governance failures rather than a lack of medical expertise. This issue was a central topic at the recent Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society (KOGS) annual conference in Mombasa.

• Maternal deaths are primarily caused by issues like inadequate health worker numbers, slow referrals, and insufficient blood supply, as highlighted by Health Director General Dr. Patrick Amoth.
• Postpartum haemorrhage, or excessive bleeding after childbirth, remains a leading cause of maternal deaths.
• Despite collecting 101,000 pints of blood last year, infrastructural weaknesses often prevent life-saving blood from reaching mothers in need, with examples like patients in Samburu County having to travel over 200 kilometres to Nakuru for blood.
• The government, especially the national government and county governments, has pledged to address these gaps through improved infrastructure, increased health workers, and better maternal and perinatal death surveillance responses (MPDSR), which already shows positive outcomes in counties like Murang’a with a rate of 133 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.