Kenya Faces Maternal Health Crisis as Critical Medical supply Shortages Rise
Nairobi,Kenya – A critical shortage of obstetric drapes across kenya is forcing healthcare workers to rely on inaccurate,outdated methods for estimating postpartum blood loss,perhaps exacerbating the country’s already high maternal mortality rate. The scarcity, reported nationwide, threatens to undermine efforts to combat postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), a leading cause of maternal death.
Postpartum haemorrhage, defined as exceeding 500ml of blood loss after a vaginal birth or 1,000ml after a Caesarean section, requires rapid and accurate assessment to enable timely interventions like blood transfusions. Obstetric drapes are specifically designed to facilitate this measurement, providing a visual aid for clinicians to quantify blood loss during and after delivery. Without them, doctors are resorting to manual estimation – a method described by Dr. Omanwa, a consultant obstetrician and fertility specialist, as “ineffective and risky.”
Kenya currently loses an average of 21 women each day due to complications during childbirth, with at least 10 of those deaths directly linked to PPH. This translates to a maternal mortality rate of 355 deaths per 100,000 live births, resulting in an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 preventable maternal deaths annually.
Understanding the Broader Context: postpartum Haemorrhage and Maternal Health in Kenya
The current drape shortage highlights a long-standing challenge within Kenya’s maternal healthcare system: resource limitations and the critical need for consistent access to essential medical supplies. PPH remains a significant,preventable cause of maternal mortality,particularly in low-resource settings.
The Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society (Kogs) is actively working to address the immediate crisis,collaborating with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (Chai) and the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority to procure additional drapes. However, securing a sustainable supply hinges on adequate funding.Beyond supply chain issues,experts emphasize the importance of a multi-faceted approach to improving maternal health outcomes. Kogs, alongside the University of Nairobi and the Midwives Association of Kenya, are conducting advocacy, training, and research initiatives – including the “Run for Her” campaign – to raise awareness and mobilize resources.
These efforts also focus on promoting regular blood donation and ensuring readily available blood supplies in maternity wards. “when a woman is bleeding, we don’t have time to mobilise blood, it must already be there,” Dr. omanwa stressed.
Prof. Moses Obimbo of the University of Nairobi underscored the basic need for reliable medical supplies to guarantee maternal safety both before and after birth. Prof. Anne-Beatrice Kihara, President of the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, highlighted the stark disparity in maternal mortality rates between developed and developing nations.”Mothers are hardly dying in developed countries…yet in Africa it’s between 300 and 600 in some nations, even 1,000 in 100,000,” Prof. Kihara stated. She advocates for increased domestic funding for maternal and child health programs, emphasizing the importance of ownership and leadership in addressing these challenges through taxation, performance-based care, and a focus on preventative healthcare.
