Kenya’s under‑five mortality rate has dropped from 41 to 37 deaths per 1,000 live births, while skilled birth attendance now reaches 90% of deliveries, according to Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale.

Stunting among children under five fell from 26% to 18%, and exclusive breastfeeding increased to 72%, reflecting progress in nutrition and early‑life care.

Despite these gains, neonatal mortality remains at 19 deaths per 1,000 live births, above the national target of 12, underscoring gaps in newborn care.

The cabinet secretary disclosed these figures during a Thursday meeting with a Save the Children delegation led by U.S. CEO Janti Soeripto, focusing on strengthening maternal, newborn and child health under Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage agenda.

Government priorities include expanding functional newborn units, neonatal resuscitation, and Kangaroo Mother Care, supported by the Every Woman, Every Newborn, Everywhere (EWENE) Acceleration Plan and the Social Health Authority’s Primary Healthcare Fund.

At the community level, more than 107,000 Community Health Promoters operate across all 47 counties, improving household access to essential services and integrating nutrition screening, counselling and referrals into primary care.

The ministry highlighted the role of Kenya’s digital health ecosystem in delivering daily performance updates, tracking maternal and newborn outcomes, and pinpointing service delivery gaps to boost accountability.

Save the Children’s contributions to child nutrition and community health were recognised, with plans to improve care for small and sick newborns, strengthen health‑worker mentorship, expand community nutrition programmes, and enhance data‑driven decision‑making.

The meeting also addressed climate‑related vulnerabilities in arid and semi‑arid counties, calling for partnerships that bolster emergency preparedness, sustain service delivery and secure nutrition commodity supplies during crises.

To operationalise the dialogue, the cabinet secretary proposed joint technical teams map existing interventions, set measurable priorities and formalise responsibilities through a Memorandum of Understanding.