Stakeholder Spotlight: Advancing Maternal & Newborn Health Products in Kenya

Workshop dates: 1–3 December 2025

Last week (1–3 December 2025), HPA supported the Ministry of Health’s Division of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (DRMNCAH) to convene a multi‑stakeholder workshop focused on one shared objective: accelerating the inclusion of priority, innovative Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) products in the KEMSA product listing.

The products reviewed—NASG, Free‑Flow UBT, Calibrated Drapes, Obstetric Point‑of‑Care Ultrasound (OPOCUS), and Haemoglobin Point‑of‑Care devices—are expected to be incorporated into the KEMSA Procurement Plan and, subsequently, featured in KEMSA’s catalogue. This step strengthens availability, standardisation, and sustained access to lifesaving tools across all counties.

HPA’s Role

HPA was represented by Daniel Menge, who contributed to technical and programmatic discussions covering:

• MNH product selection criteria and specifications review
• Quantification and pricing
• Product introduction pathways and rollout considerations
• Alignment with ongoing national health financing reforms

Consensus was also built around enhanced regulatory activities, including import/export controls, support for local production, quality monitoring, and post‑market surveillance—laying the groundwork for safe, reliable scale‑up.

Stakeholder Spotlight

This milestone was possible because of the collaboration and expertise brought by a wide range of partners:

• DRMNCAH (Ministry of Health) 
• Directorate of Health Products and Technologies (DHPT) 
• Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA)
• Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI).
• Lwala Community Alliance 
• Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)
• inSupply Health 
• PATH 
• JHPIEGO
• Jacaranda Health 
• International Centre for Reproductive Health, Kenya (ICRHK) 

What We Agreed (Key Outputs)

By the close of the workshop, partners aligned on the following deliverables that enable timely procurement and transparent rollout:

1. Consensus on product specifications
2. Quantified need for initial procurement volumes
3. Proposed pricing for budgeting and market stability
4. Development of communication materials
5. Reporting requirements to ensure end‑to‑end supply‑chain visibility

This milestone reflects HPA’s continued commitment to maternal wellness, supporting government‑led processes that strengthen the health system while ensuring frontline providers have the right tools at the right time.

Acknowledgements

HPA extends appreciation to all stakeholders for their leadership and collaboration: