AFRICA LEADS GLOBAL MOMENTUM TO END PREVENTABLE MATERNAL DEATHS

 

Participants take to the streets of Nairobi during the 2025 National PPH Run, uniting in a spirited call to end preventable maternal deaths.(Photo credits)

By: Glad Tv Kenya reporter 

Africa’s momentum to end preventable maternal deaths reached a historic peak this weekend as Kenya hosted the second edition of the End Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH) Run. Thousands of participants took to the streets in Nairobi and across seven counties, joined by parallel events in other African countries, in a united call to stop mothers from dying while giving life.

The event came at a time of renewed global focus on maternal health, with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently committing $2.5 billion to neglected women’s health conditions, including postpartum hemorrhage  the leading cause of maternal deaths worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the heaviest burden, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all global maternal deaths. In Kenya alone, more than 3,000 mothers die every year due to preventable complications from childbirth.

Cabinet Secretary for Health, reminded participants that the fight is far from over. “Every single day, about 16 mothers die in Kenya from pregnancy-related causes. The leading killer is postpartum hemorrhage heavy bleeding after childbirth. This is a tragedy because most of these deaths are preventable. We are not just walking and running for fitness. We are running for mothers. We are running so that giving life will never again cost a woman her own life.”

He noted that Kenya has made progress, with maternal mortality ratios reducing from 355 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019 to about 98 deaths per 100,000 in health facilities by 2024. However, counties such as Garissa, Isiolo, Lamu, Migori, and Samburu continue to carry a much heavier burden with figures above 200 deaths per 100,000. “The message is clear: where there is leadership, investment, and awareness, lives are saved,” he said.

The run emphasized three pillars: raising awareness so communities recognize risks early, strengthening prevention and quick response through skilled birth attendance and availability of lifesaving supplies, and fostering partnerships that bring together governments, development partners, civil society, and communities.

Kenya has already rolled out several critical interventions to combat PPH. The Ministry of Health has listed essential PPH commodities and made them available through KEMSA and MEDS, including heat-stable carbetocin, tranexamic acid, balloon tamponades, and blood loss monitoring drapes. The government has also procured 360,000 doses of heat-stable carbetocin for use across counties. In addition, 1,500 healthcare providers have been trained on the E-MOTIVE package a protocol focusing on early detection and treatment of PPH while health workers are being equipped with point-of-care ultrasound technology to detect risks early.

“Every step we take is for a mother’s life. Every drop of sweat is for a child to grow up with their mother. Every voice raised is for equity, for dignity, for justice,” the Health Cabinet Secretary said, urging Kenyans not to normalize preventable deaths.

Professor Moses Obimbo, one of the leaders of the initiative, called the run a rallying cry for action. “We cannot continue to accept a reality where a mother dies every two minutes from childbirth-related causes, especially when simple, affordable, and proven interventions can save lives. With this moment of global commitment, we must translate pledges into local action so that no woman dies while giving life.”

Dr. Kireki Omanwa, President of the Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society, echoed the urgency of sustained national investment. “Our fight is not only about averting PPH but ensuring every woman has access to respectful, high-quality reproductive care, no matter where she lives. For us, the fight is about equity, dignity, and justice.”

Dr. Evelyn Gitau of the Science for Africa Foundation underlined the importance of African-led innovation. “We must invest in solutions designed, tested, and scaled from within the continent. This is how we close the maternal health gap and secure a healthier future for African women and families.”

Kenya has committed to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3.1 reducing maternal deaths to less than 70 per 100,000 live births. Organizers of the End PPH Run stressed that achieving this goal will require action at every level: families spreading knowledge, health workers prepared and equipped, counties strengthening facilities, leaders investing resources where the need is greatest, and communities refusing to accept preventable deaths as normal.

As the runners crossed the finish line, the applause carried a deeper meaning. It was not just for endurance, but for mothers whose lives depend on timely interventions, for families that deserve to grow together, and for a continent determined to end preventable maternal deaths once and for all.