Experts Advocate Safer Childbirth Practices

Health experts in Kenya are increasingly calling for reforms to make childbirth safer, warning that preventable practices and poor systems continue to put mothers and newborns at risk. At a recent high-level meeting on maternal and newborn health, key interventions were highlighted: improved triage and referral systems, 24-hour access to emergency theatres, better blood and oxygen supply, and more widespread implementation of respectful maternity care.
One major push is for the wider use of the Non-Pneumatic Anti-Shock Garment (NASG) to reduce deaths from postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), a leading cause of maternal mortality. The NASG is a low-cost compression suit that stabilizes bleeding women, giving health workers more time to transfer patients and save lives.
Surgical safety is also getting more attention. The Global Surgery Foundation recently launched a project in Nakuru County that trains surgical teams — including midwives, anaesthetists, and obstetricians — in safe caesarean section techniques. The training emphasises not only surgical skills but also communication, trust-building, and respectful patient care.
At the same time, experts at the World Patient Safety Day Symposium warned that unsafe practices in maternity wards and neonatal units are still contributing to preventable harm. They pushed for simulation-based training, early risk detection, stronger oversight, and a culture that empowers mothers and their families to demand safer, dignified care.