• The announcement came at a high‑level gathering that drew more than 1,800 participants from over 100 countries. The IMNHC 2026 conference highlighted slowing progress in maternal and newborn survival since 2016, warning that many nations are off track to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Nakuru County has officially become the first county in Kenya to join the Healthy Birth Initiative (HBI), a landmark commitment to end preventable maternal and neonatal deaths. The move signals a decisive step in the county’s mission to make safe birth a non‑negotiable standard.

HBI is a five‑year program worth 11 billion shillings, designed to drastically reduce newborn deaths across 12 counties that account for half of all neonatal mortality in Kenya.

Photo source: Facebook

Nakuru’s entry sets the pace, with the county announcing 155.5 million shillings in dedicated funding during the International Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Conference (IMNHC 2026) in Nairobi on March 25, 2026.

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The International Maternal Newborn Health Conference kicked off on March 23 and will run upto March 26, 2026.

"These resources will support workforce training, strengthen the capacity of our frontline workers, and ensure our facilities are equipped with the essential tools and commodities needed to care for mothers and newborns, especially those who are small and sick,” Deputy Governor David Kones said.

County leaders stress that maternal and newborn deaths are not inevitable. They result from gaps in skills, support, and readiness. With more than 70,000 babies born in Nakuru every year, the county has pledged to transform facilities into Healthy Birth Learning Labs — centers of excellence piloting innovative care methods that can be scaled across the region.

“Nakuru is investing in you, and in the safety of your newborn,” read a statement by the County Government in part.

Kones sharpened the moral argument, insisting that healthy birth is not branding but a baseline expectation.

Photo source: Facebook

“Too many mothers face complications without help. Too many babies struggle for their first breath without a trained hand to guide them. Families often leave health facilities broken instead of whole — and the most painful part is that most of these losses are preventable. This is the injustice the Healthy Birth Initiative is designed to end,” he noted in a Facebook post.

The announcement came at a high‑level gathering that drew more than 1,800 participants from over 100 countries. The IMNHC 2026 conference highlighted slowing progress in maternal and newborn survival since 2016, warning that many nations are off track to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Kenya’s leadership in joining HBI positions the country as the first in the world to formally align with the global program. The initiative will target counties including Kakamega, Kisumu, Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi, Garissa, Kiambu, Kericho, West Pokot, Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, and Nakuru.

The partnership is anchored by Jhpiego, an international nonprofit affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, working alongside the Ministry of Health. Jhpiego brings technical expertise, training, and innovation to strengthen Kenya’s health systems and advance Universal Health Coverage.

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