This annual review summary sheet captures the headlines on programme performance, agreed actions and learning over the course of the review period (2016/2017) for the Reducing Maternal and Neonatal Deaths in Kenya programme.

The programme is implemented by three core partners: i) the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) is scaling up training in Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) in 32 of Kenya’s 47 counties; ii) the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is supporting health systems strengthening (HSS) and demand creation in five counties (Homa Bay, Garissa, Kakamega, Nairobi [in two peri-urban sub-counties] and Turkana); and iii) Marie Stopes International (MSI)/ Options Consultancy Services (referred to throughout as Options) is supporting HSS and demand creation in one county (Bungoma).

UNICEF has also been responsible for HSS support to the national Ministry of Health (MOH) and overall programme management and coordination. Options, together with KPMG, are managing a County Innovation Challenge Fund (CICF) to support testing and scale up of innovative approaches in all six programme counties. UNICEF and Options have also implemented green energy upgrading of health facilities in their respective counties. The programme also funds an independent evaluation component, implemented by Health Research for Action Limited (HERA) under a sub-contract through UNICEF, to assess programme impact.

The programme has scored a ‘B’ (outputs moderately did not meet expectation) in two consecutive years, a decline in performance following the 2014/15 annual review. A number of measures were taken in the past year to address poor performance.

Despite the programme scoring an overall ‘B’ in this review, there is good progress overall since the 2016 Annual Review; implementation has accelerated with notable progress on the training component, health facility improvements and community health.