Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has announced that Kenya has finalised a new roadmap aimed at improving maternal and newborn health outcomes, with county governments already rolling out tailored strategies to implement the plan at the grassroots.

Taking to his official X account on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, Duale said the country finalised the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere (EWENE) Acceleration Plan for 2026–2028.

EWENE is a global initiative focused on reducing preventable deaths among mothers and infants.

“We are proud to be among the countries that have finalised the Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere (EWENE) Acceleration Plan 2026–2028,” Duale said.

Adoption by County Govt

Duale added that county governments have adopted the framework and developed context-specific strategies aligned to their unique healthcare needs and realities.

“Crucially, county governments have already adopted the framework and developed context-specific strategies tailored to their unique needs and realities,” Duale noted.

Duale emphasised that the success of this initiative relies on moving beyond high-level promises to achieve tangible results on the ground.

He said the success of the plan will depend on how effectively global commitments are translated into local action through community-level ownership, adaptation, and accountability.

“This is how global commitments are translated into meaningful local impact; through ownership, adaptation, and accountability at the community level,” Duale said.

EWENE SGD

The 2026–2028 plan is expected to provide a roadmap for reducing maternal and newborn mortality by ensuring that essential healthcare services are accessible to every woman and child, regardless of their location.

The EWENE noted its’ Sustainable Development Goal 3, target 3.1 ratio.

This means that a reduction of the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030, and target 3.2: end neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births.

The organization is further advocating for the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016–2030); a roadmap for ending all preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths, including stillbirths, by 2030, and improving their overall health and well-being.