Bungoma has stepped up efforts to reduce preventable maternal deaths.
New data shows women and babies still face life-threatening complications before, during and after childbirth.
The county government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lwala Community Alliance to reduce maternal and child deaths.
Health and sanitation executive Chrispinus Barasa said the move aims to ensure facilities in Bungoma participate fully in preparedness to reduce deaths by streamlining structures to respond to and sustain interventions.
“The signing of the MoU demonstrates the commitment by the county to strengthen maternal and child survival rates in Bungoma. One of the key pillars we are focusing on is strengthening community health workers’ involvement in maternal and child matters,” he said.
Thirty-three maternal deaths have been recorded in facilities across Bungoma since January this year, raising the maternal mortality ratio in the county to 110 deaths for every 100,000 deliveries.
The report by the Ministry of Health further indicates postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) as another leading cause of maternal deaths.
Bungoma recorded 289 PPH cases, including 10 associated maternal deaths, between January and June 2026.
Barasa attributed the rise in maternal deaths to hypertensive disorders and sepsis, highlighting the need for earlier identification of complications and faster, quality emergency care when they occur.
“The challenge extends to newborns. Bungoma’s facility-based neonatal mortality rate is currently 7.2 deaths per 1,000 live births, with prematurity, birth asphyxia and sepsis among the leading causes,” he said.
“These deaths are often linked to moments when timely action can make the difference between life and death. A mother experiencing severe bleeding needs rapid recognition, treatment, and, when necessary, blood and referral.”
“A woman with severe hypertension needs to be identified and treated before her condition becomes life-threatening,” he added.
Bungoma has 351 health facilities, 359 community health units, and 3,590 community health promoters (CHPs).
Lwala Community Alliance chief programme officer Sandra Mudhune said the organisation will support Bungoma’s priorities and strengthen systems already in place.
“Every maternal or newborn death represents a family whose life has been changed forever. The data shows us where the challenges are, but it also shows us where there is an opportunity to act,” she said.
“By working with Bungoma county, we can help strengthen the systems and capabilities that give mothers and newborns a better chance of surviving and thriving.”
Mudhune added, “Beyond the activities, we want this partnership to leave behind stronger health workers, stronger systems and stronger communities. The real measure of our work will be fewer preventable deaths and more families leaving health facilities healthy and together.”
She said that, looking ahead, the partnership supports Bungoma’s contribution to Kenya’s ambition of ending preventable maternal and newborn deaths by 2030.
