MAKUENI ACHIEVES MILESTONE IN MATERNAL HEALTH, RECORDS ZERO PPH DEATHS SINCE 2022

Makueni, once among the top ten counties with the highest maternal death rates, has made strides in maternal healthcare. Since 2022, no maternal deaths caused by postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) have been reported in its public hospitals.

This achievement is attributed to innovative healthcare practices and the adoption of Heat-Stable Carbetocin, a World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended drug proven to prevent excessive bleeding after childbirth.

The county has also embraced calibrated drapes, a specialized tool that helps measure blood loss during childbirth.

These clear drapes, placed on delivery beds, enable accurate monitoring, allowing medical personnel to respond swiftly to abnormal bleeding.

On Tuesday, Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. flagged off 11,000 calibrated drapes for distribution to health facilities across the county, further bolstering this initiative.

The governor emphasized his commitment to ensuring that women in Makueni deliver safely and return home with healthy babies.

He hosted members of the UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health, who visited the county to learn from its best practices in managing PPH.

The visiting delegation, mainly from Norway and Italy, is dedicated to mobilizing donor governments and strengthening collaborations to improve access to quality healthcare globally.

Makueni is among the first counties in Kenya to adopt a comprehensive approach to combating PPH, combining the use of Heat-Stable Carbetocin with calibrated drapes.

These efforts are part of the “Accelerating Measurable Progress and Leveraging Investments for Postpartum Hemorrhage Impact (AMPLI-PHHI)” program, a partnership between the county and Jhpiego. This initiative aims to drastically reduce maternal mortality and morbidity rates associated with PPH.