Kenya deepens partnership with Jhpiego to accelerate maternal and newborn health under universal coverage drive

Kenya’s health ministry is sharpening its focus on universal health coverage (UHC) by cementing a multi‑year partnership with global health NGO Jhpiego. The collaboration, announced in Nairobi last week, is designed to fast‑track the government’s “Every Woman, Every Newborn, Everywhere” (EWENE) agenda and to plug persistent gaps in maternal and newborn care across the country’s most vulnerable counties.

Strategic alignment of resources

During a high‑level meeting, Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale welcomed Jhpiego President and CEO Dr. Allyson Bear and her team, stressing the need for a coordinated approach that aligns donor interventions with Kenya’s national priorities. Duale reiterated the “One Plan, One Budget, One Accountability” framework, urging partners to channel funds toward the most pressing needs and avoid duplication of effort.

Priority areas identified

The joint discussion highlighted three critical fronts: reducing maternal haemorrhage, strengthening the skill set of health‑care workers, and expanding access to essential medical technologies. Jhpiego’s reproductive, maternal and newborn health programmes will be re‑oriented to mirror the EWENE roadmap, initially concentrating on the 18 counties the government has earmarked as high‑risk.

Targeted support for newborn care

Among the first concrete steps is Jhpiego’s pledge to bolster newborn services in five counties. The Ministry will steer the selection of facilities that need the most assistance, ensuring that interventions dovetail with existing HIV and family‑planning programmes. This integrated approach aims to create a seamless continuum of care from pregnancy through the post‑natal period.

Building a skilled health workforce

Workforce development sits at the heart of the partnership. Under Kenya’s national mentorship guidelines, health workers will benefit from a blend of on‑site mentorship, virtual learning platforms, and targeted capacity‑building workshops. The goal is to raise the quality of maternal and newborn services while fostering a culture of continuous professional development.

Leveraging digital health tools

Both partners also agreed to expand the use of digital health solutions. The Ministry is in the final stages of launching a health‑sector command centre dashboard that will aggregate key performance indicators across maternal and newborn health, HIV, tuberculosis and other priority programmes. Real‑time data will enable faster decision‑making, pinpoint service gaps, and trigger timely corrective actions.

Jhpiego’s track record in Kenya

Jhpiego brings nearly five decades of experience to the table, having supported Kenya’s health sector since the 1970s across family planning, malaria, HIV and maternal‑newborn health. Today, the organisation manages 13 projects, with an investment of roughly KSh5.2 billion spread over 22 counties and more than 1,800 health facilities in the past two years.

From global commitments to local action

The partnership discussion also touched on translating pledges made at the Global Maternal Health Conference into tangible interventions on the ground. As Kenya explores sustainable financing models and strives for greater self‑reliance in health service delivery, technical collaborations like this one are expected to play a pivotal role in bolstering national implementation capacity.

Hon. Duale concluded that partnerships must complement government efforts, inject innovation, and deliver measurable improvements for Kenyan families. Both the Ministry of Health and Jhpiego reaffirmed their joint commitment to narrowing the maternal and newborn care gap, giving every woman and child a stronger chance to survive and thrive.