NAIROBI, Kenya Jun 10 – China has committed Sh390 million towards a new maternal and newborn health programme targeting northeastern Kenya, where women and infants continue to face some of the highest mortality rates in the country despite broader national progress in healthcare.
The initiative, funded by the Chinese government through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund and implemented in partnership with UNICEF, will focus on Garissa, Wajir and Mandera counties.
The programme is expected to directly benefit more than 652,000 people while indirectly reaching another 630,000 residents through expanded maternal, newborn and emergency healthcare services.
Speaking during the launch in Nairobi on Tuesday, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan said the project reflects China’s growing commitment to supporting healthcare and development priorities across Africa.
“Maternal and child health cooperation has always been a key priority of Global South cooperation as it serves to protect basic human rights and safeguard human dignity,” she said.
Guo noted that the programme was designed to respond to local healthcare challenges and would focus on practical, measurable interventions.
“First, we will ensure precision cooperation based on actual needs. Second, we will invest in capacity building of health workers. Third, we will uphold strict and standardised management of resources,” she said.
The ambassador said the initiative also builds on agreements reached during President William Ruto’s State Visit to Beijing in 2025 and aligns with China’s Global Development Initiative launched by President Xi Jinping.
“The implementation of this project fully embodies the vision of China’s Global Development Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2021,” she said.
Guo added that China would continue working closely with UNICEF and Kenya’s Ministry of Health to ensure successful implementation of the programme.
Health officials say maternal and newborn deaths in Garissa, Wajir and Mandera remain significantly higher than the national average due to limited healthcare infrastructure, shortages of skilled health workers, weak referral systems and long distances to health facilities.
Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth said although Kenya has made progress in reducing maternal and child mortality nationally, disparities between counties remain a major challenge.
“Some counties continue to experience unacceptably high maternal mortality rates. These deaths are preventable and must be addressed collectively,” Amoth said.
He explained that the programme would strengthen health systems, improve emergency obstetric services and equip healthcare facilities with essential medical supplies and commodities.
“The programme focuses on strengthening health systems, improving emergency readiness, and equipping facilities with essential commodities,” he said.
Amoth said community health promoters would also play a critical role in improving maternal and newborn outcomes through early pregnancy identification, referrals and public health education.
The project will additionally support improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene systems in healthcare facilities to help reduce infections linked to maternal and neonatal deaths.
UNICEF Kenya Representative Shaheen Nilofer said the intervention is intended to bridge long-standing inequalities in healthcare access and service delivery affecting vulnerable communities in northeastern Kenya.
“This partnership helps us turn commitments into practical action where it is needed most,” she said.
“There is no doubt that this alignment sets the stage for real change.”
Nilofer said the programme would strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare systems while also improving nutrition services, emergency response and access to essential health services.
Health officials say the leading causes of newborn deaths in Kenya include prematurity, birth asphyxia and neonatal infections, most of which can be prevented through timely access to skilled healthcare workers, effective referral systems and adequately equipped health facilities.
Authorities hope the new investment will help narrow persistent healthcare disparities in northeastern Kenya and accelerate efforts to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths.