The Vihiga Teaching and Referral Hospital, Mother and Child Unit in Mbale/IMAGE /HILTON OTENYO
Vihiga's investments in healthcare infrastructure is bearing fruits with improved maternal services in recent years.
The investments include the establishment and operationalisation of new health facilities across the county. The most stand out project is the new Maternal and Child Health Integrated Complex at Vihiga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Mbale.
The elevation of Vihiga Referral Hospital to Level V status has also enhanced the county's ability to handle complicated deliveries and specialised maternal cases that previously required referrals to Kakamega, Kisumu or Eldoret.
The new maternal complex came with a caesarean section theatre, a three-bed delivery room, a 12-bed antenatal ward, a 20-bed postnatal ward, an eight-bed new-born unit, a nursing station, a pharmacy and equipment for medical gas supply.
The number of public health facilities have risen from 54 in 2017 to 78 in 2025, with operationalisation of Kisatiru, Epang’a, Givigoi, and Evojo health facilities.
The figures are contained in the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2023–2027 mid-term review report.
The report said the distance covered by expectant mothers to access maternal services has reduced from three kilometres in 2017 to 2.3km in 2022 while the proportion of births attended to by skilled health workers increased from 72 per cent to 80 per cent within the same period.
Governor Wilber Ottichilo said investments in maternal and child health are aimed at easing access to quality healthcare services by every mother, regardless of where they live.
"No mother deserves to die while bringing forth life. We are creating an environment where mothers can access quality and dignified care close to their homes," he added.
"Reducing the distance mothers travel to access healthcare has had a direct impact on maternal health outcomes because women are now able to seek antenatal services early and deliver under the care of skilled professionals," said the governor.
Geographical access to healthcare is measured by the proportion of the population living within five kilometres or about one hour's travel from a health facility, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Vihiga County records 75 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births currently.
Maternal mortality is among Kenya’s leading causes of death among women of reproductive age, according to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2025.
Globally, more than 700 women die every day from preventable pregnancy and childbirth-related complications, according to WHO, most of the deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries, where access to quality maternal healthcare remains a challenge.
Maternal mortality remains a significant public health concern, with estimates showing between 355 and 375 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in Kenya
Mothers in Vihiga acknowledge the transformation of maternal healthcare in the county and contend that the distances they covered to access the services have significantly reduced and services have improved.
"When I was expecting my first child in 2017, getting maternity services was not easy. The hospital was far, transport was a challenge and the maternity ward was always crowded. I remember worrying about what would happen if labour started at night but this time round, everything is different," Gladys Kavaya recalled.
Regina Khasaya, a mother of four from Hamisi, said expectant mothers from Hamisi and surrounding areas often had to travel about 11 kilometres or more to access specialised maternity services in Mbale, before the expansion of maternal and child health services at Hamisi Sub-County Hospital.
