WHO and Kenya hand over theatre beds and cancer equipment to strengthen maternal and women's health services

Nairobi - Kenya's Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) handed over 108 electric obstetric theatre beds and a package of women's cancer screening and management equipment at Kenyatta National Hospital on 9 June 2026, in a move intended to strengthen the country's capacity to manage obstetric emergencies and expand access to cervical and breast cancer services. Valued at KSh 43 million, the theatre beds will be distributed to 45 health facilities across 11 priority counties, while the cancer equipment will go to eight facilities in two counties, Bungoma and Nyandarua.

Maternal mortality remains a significant public health challenge in Kenya. According to the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere (EWENE) Acceleration Plan, an estimated 355 women die for every 100,000 live births, and the country records around 30,400 stillbirths a year, with neonatal mortality at 21 per 1,000 live births against a 2030 target of 12. Although 89 per cent of births are attended by a skilled health worker, only 5 per cent of facilities offering maternity services have all the equipment required for comprehensive emergency obstetric care, and just 63 per cent have a functioning maternity theatre, with only 18 per cent able to conduct caesarean sections.

The handover builds on commitments made on 28 May 2026, when President William Ruto launched the EWENE Acceleration Plan 2026 to 2028 and the Maternal and Newborn Health Rapid Results Initiative at State House, Nairobi, pledging KES 7.5 billion towards maternal, newborn and reproductive health services. Speaking at that launch, Dr Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, WHO's Acting Representative in Kenya, said Africa accounts for roughly 70 per cent of global maternal deaths and half of all newborn deaths, and that in Kenya, an estimated 16 mothers and 90 newborns die every day. "These are not statistics," she said. "These are people. These are absences at dinner tables, at school gates, and economic loss to the country." She said WHO and its partners had pledged support behind the initiative.

At the equipment handover in Nairobi, Kimambo said the donation reflected that broader commitment. "Today's handover is not simply about equipment," she said. "It is about strengthening health systems, expanding access to quality care, and ensuring that women, newborns and communities receive the services they need, when and where they need them."

Dr Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary for Medical Services in Kenya's State Department for Medical Services, said the investments were meant to translate into improved quality of care, earlier diagnosis and safer deliveries for women and newborns. "Behind every bed and every piece of equipment is a woman whose life may be saved, a newborn who will have a healthier start in life, and a family whose future will be protected," he said. He added that a resilient health system must support women across the life course, not only during pregnancy and childbirth, central to the government's commitment to Universal Health Coverage.

Alongside the maternal health investment, WHO and the Ministry of Health also provided a comprehensive package of cancer screening, diagnostic, laboratory, pathology and treatment equipment to the eight facilities in Bungoma and Nyandarua, including cervical cancer screening tools, laboratory and pathology equipment for investigating pre-cancerous conditions, diagnostic and imaging equipment, and treatment devices for pre-cancerous lesions. The equipment is being delivered through the Women's Integrated Cancer Services (WICS) Project, a partnership between the Ministry of Health, WHO and Roche that has, since its launch in October 2024, integrated breast and cervical cancer screening into primary healthcare and screened 8,440 women, against a target of 10,000.

By bringing screening, diagnosis and treatment closer together, the project aims to reduce loss to follow-up, a persistent barrier in cancer care that can delay treatment once an abnormal result is identified. Kimambo said the new equipment would directly address this challenge, describing loss to follow-up as one of the most persistent barriers to successful cancer care.

To support effective use, WHO and the Ministry of Health matched the equipment to facilities with capacity to deliver the relevant services and coordinated installation, training and mentorship support. Oluga called on beneficiary counties and facilities to ensure proper use, maintenance and accountability. "The true value of this equipment will be measured by the lives saved, the complications prevented, the women treated with dignity, the cancers detected early, and the health workers empowered to provide quality care," Kimambo said.

WHO's mandate in Kenya centres on strengthening health systems and expanding access to quality maternal, newborn and women's health services in support of Universal Health Coverage. This includes technical and operational support for the EWENE Acceleration Plan and Rapid Results Initiative, and its partnership in the Women's Integrated Cancer Services Project.