The Government of Kenya will scale up essential products used to prevent and diagnose the leading cause of death of mothers during childbirth, as part of a US$7.8 million (KES 1 billion) effort to accelerate maternal and newborn care.
This will expand access to two key products that help health workers detect and prevent life-threatening bleeding after birth, known as postpartum hemorrhage: heat-stable carbetocin, a high-quality medicine that prevents postpartum hemorrhage and, unlike alternative products, does not require cold-chain storage and the calibrated drape, which supports healthcare workers to objectively measure blood loss and quickly link women in need with emergency care.
Although Kenya has made significant progress in reducing maternal mortality over the past two decades, approximately 5,000 women still die from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes each year. Severe bleeding during pregnancy, childbirth or shortly after delivery, accounts for about 40% of these deaths.
Building on previous investments, domestic funding will now cover the purchase of 1.5 million doses of heat-stable carbetocin and 1.5 million calibrated drapes – enough to cover all women giving birth in the public sector in Kenya for up to two years.
“At a time when many countries are facing difficult choices in health spending, Kenya’s commitment to invest in quality maternal care is especially encouraging,” said Janet Ginnard, Unitaid’s Director of Strategy. “Ensuring access to effective medicines and tools not only saves women’s lives, it also strengthens health systems and reduces the need for costly emergency care.”
Delivered as part of a package of care, the calibrated drape and heat-stable carbetocin have driven major reductions in deaths caused by postpartum hemorrhage across demonstration sites in Kenya in recent years.
Since 2022, Jhpiego and Unitaid have worked with the Government of Kenya through the AMPLI-PPHI program to introduce a comprehensive package of postpartum hemorrhage prevention, diagnosis and treatment tools. Program sites in 36 high-volume healthcare facilities in Makueni County demonstrated the impact of these tools in reducing bleeding, referrals and blood transfusions – reducing postpartum hemorrhage deaths to zero by 2023.
The success in those sites sparked county-wide scale up. In November 2024, Makueni County expanded the intervention to all 243 maternity sites across the county. Between 2022 and 2025, postpartum hemorrhage deaths across the county fell by about two-thirds.
“Kenya is taking decisive action to prevent postpartum hemorrhage, one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in our country,” said Dr. Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Ministry of Health of Kenya. “By investing in proven medicines and tools and scaling them nationwide, we are strengthening the quality of care for mothers and ensuring more women survive childbirth. We thank all our partners who stand with us in this effort.”
Through AMPLI-PPHI, Unitaid and Jhpiego have contributed to broader efforts to enable national scale-up by strengthening policies, supply chains and provider training. National quantification supported through AMPLI-PPHI enabled a landmark government procurement of 360,000 doses of heat-stable carbetocin, unlocking a global access price of about US$0.74 (KES 95) compared to the private sector price of approximately US$21 (KES 2700) and making large-scale rollout financially feasible.
“What we have seen in Kenya demonstrates that when health workers are equipped with the right medicines, tools and training, they can dramatically improve outcomes for mothers,” said Paul Nyachae, Jhpiego Country Director, Kenya. “It is inspiring to see strong national leadership backing interventions that are proven to save lives.”
Kenya’s commitment was announced in advance of the International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC) in Nairobi next week (23-26 March) and marks an important step in Kenya’s efforts to strengthen maternal care and accelerate progress toward ending preventable maternal deaths.
About AMPLI-PPHI
AMPLI-PPHI (Accelerating Measurable Progress and Leveraging Investment for Postpartum Hemorrhage Impact) is a US$26 million global initiative (2022–2026) funded by Unitaid and led by Jhpiego in partnership with PATH and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO). The program works with governments in Africa and Asia to accelerate the adoption and scale-up of lifesaving postpartum hemorrhage interventions, helping ensure that the right medicines and tools reach women at the right time during childbirth.
About Unitaid
Unitaid saves lives by making new health products affordable and available in low- and middle-income countries. Collaborating with partners, Unitaid identifies innovative treatments, tackles market barriers, and quickly delivers solutions to those in need. Since 2006, Unitaid has unlocked over 100 health products, addressing HIV, TB, malaria, women’s and children’s health, and pandemic preparedness. Every year, these products benefit more than 300 million people. Unitaid is a hosted partnership of the World Health Organization. www.unitaid.org
About Jhpiego
Jhpiego is a global health nonprofit with more than 50 years of experience innovating to save the lives of women, men, and families around the world. Originally established in 1973 as the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics, Jhpiego has since evolved into a multidimensional organization with active programming in over 30 countries. In partnership with national governments, health experts, and local communities, Jhpiego creates and delivers transformative health care solutions that build providers’ skills, strengthen health systems, and ensure equitable access to high-quality, lifesaving care for all—regardless of location.
For further information or media inquiries, please contact:
Unitaid: Kyle Wilkinson, +41 79 445 17 45, wilkinsonk@unitaid.who.int
Jhpiego: Naomi Downey, +1 646-418-6596, Naomi.Downey@jhpiego.org
