Healthcare experts and policymakers have called for urgent action to make healthcare safer for newborns and children to prevent newborn and children’s deaths.
They have warned that unsafe care has continued to cause
preventable harm in maternity wards, neonatal units and paediatric settings, exposing children to preventable deaths.
They said this during the World Patient Safety Day Symposium 2025 held at the Aga Khan University Centre on Tuesday.
The healthcare experts and
policy makers emphasised that improving safety from birth is essential if Kenya
and other countries aim to reduce maternal and child mortality.
This year’s theme, “Safe Care from the Start: Preventing
Harm in Neonatal and Paediatric Care,” highlights the vulnerability of newborns
and children to risks and harm caused by unsafe care from the healthcare
givers.
“This year’s theme speaks directly to the
heart of our healthcare mission: to protect, to nurture, and to ensure that every
child’s journey in life is safe, healthy, and full of potential. This is to
ensure that a child in a remote village receives the same standard of care as
the child in an urban hospital,” Public Health PS Mary Muthoni said.
She further said that Kenya’s commitment to safeguarding the lives of mothers, newborns and children is not new.
She said the government, through the Ministry of Health, has made significant progress in reducing child
mortality, improving access to essential care, and expanding health
infrastructure.
“Our investments in primary healthcare, the rollout of the
Community Health Strategy, and the strengthening of Primary Care Networks are
tangible milestones that have brought healthcare closer to where families
live,” she added.
This year’s symposium brought together healthcare
professionals, policymakers, researchers, educators, patient advocates, and
community leaders in a collaborative effort to strengthen safety and quality in
maternal, newborn, and paediatric care.
On his part, the Regional
Health Specialists Coordinator, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Eastern
& Southern Africa Regional Office Dr Abdihamid Ibrahim Ahmed emphasised the importance of quality care
for children in the hospitals.
“Every child deserves safe and quality care from
their very first breath. Unsafe practices not only endanger lives but also
undermine trust in our healthcare systems. This symposium is a call to action
for policymakers, healthcare professionals and families to make patient safety
a shared responsibility,” he said.
Through panel discussions and workshops, participants agreed on key priorities, which include expanding workforce training through simulation-based learning to prepare healthcare teams to respond swiftly to emergencies.
“To keep mothers and children safe, we must go beyond treating illness; we must prevent harm before it happens. That means training our healthcare teams to respond swiftly in emergencies, strengthening systems that detect risks early and empowering families to be active partners in care,” Prof Pauline Samia said.
Samia is the Chair, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, AKU Medical College, East Africa and Aga Khan University Hospital.
Healthcare experts also agreed to strengthen early detection systems for high-risk conditions in newborns and children and close policy and resource gaps that leave maternal and child health units vulnerable to preventable harm.
They also agreed to scale up low-cost innovations and integrated care models
and engage families as partners in care, empowering them with knowledge and
tools to demand safe, respectful services.
“We cannot afford to accept preventable harm as part of the cost of care. Together, we must build a culture of safety where every mother and every child receives care that is not only effective, but safe and dignified,” Prof John Weru said.
Weru is the Interim Associate Dean, Clinical Services, AKU
Medical College East Africa and Chief Medical Officer, Aga Khan University
Hospital.
