By Dr Richard Mogeni Mogaka
When the Junior Starlets earned their historic place at the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup, Kenya celebrated as one. A few weeks earlier, Arsenal’s long-awaited Premier League title sparked scenes of jubilation across the country. Football has an extraordinary ability to unite Kenyans. It reminds us of the power of teamwork, resilience and determination to stay in the game until the final whistle.
Yet amid the excitement, a remarkable opportunity is being overlooked: using the beautiful game to save the lives of mothers and newborns.
Every day in Kenya, about 15 mothers die from pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. Another 92 newborns die, while 93 babies are stillborn. These are not just statistics. They are women, children and families whose futures are forever changed by preventable tragedies.
Kenya is not short of policies or investment. The recently launched Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere (EWENE) Acceleration Plan 2026–2028, alongside the Sh4 billion allocated through the Social Health Authority (SHA) to strengthen maternal healthcare, demonstrates strong political commitment.
But policies and funding alone will not save lives.
One of the greatest barriers lies inside our homes, where critical decisions are often made by husbands, relatives or neighbours who are rarely reached by conventional maternal health campaigns. If Kenya is to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths, the EWENE message must travel beyond health facilities into places where communities already gather, listen and trust one another.
Few places offer that opportunity better than football grounds.
At first glance, the connection may seem unusual. Maternal health has traditionally been viewed as a clinical issue. Yet childbirth is every bit as time-sensitive as a football match. When a woman suffers postpartum haemorrhage—the leading cause of maternal death—the clock starts ticking immediately.
In those critical moments, the decision to seek emergency care is often made not by the mother herself but by her husband, another family member, a neighbour or the boda boda rider who can transport her to the nearest health facility. If they fail to recognise the danger signs or hesitate to act, precious minutes are lost—and so are lives.
That is precisely why football presents an untapped public health opportunity.
Grassroots competitions such as Safaricom Chapa Dimba, county leagues and community tournaments attract thousands of passionate supporters every weekend. More importantly, they reach audiences that public health campaigns often struggle to engage, particularly men.
Yet many families remain unaware of the warning signs of pregnancy complications. Studies show that nearly half of pregnant women cannot identify key maternal danger signs, while many households delay seeking care because they lack transport or emergency plans.
Imagine if halftime became more than a break in play.
Instead of entertainment alone, respected players, coaches and local football heroes could spend a few minutes delivering a simple but potentially life-saving message—the “Kipenga cha Mama na Mtoto” (Mother and Baby Whistle).
Using clear, practical language, they could explain the warning signs of excessive bleeding after childbirth, severe pregnancy complications and newborn distress. More importantly, they could encourage families to seek emergency care immediately rather than waiting until it is too late.
Making this vision a reality will require an unprecedented partnership between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Sports, working closely with county governments.
First, every county-sponsored sporting event should include a mobile health hub. Beyond offering basic services, these centres could register expectant mothers and their partners for SHA, provide maternal and newborn health education, and connect families to nearby health facilities.
Second, football can become a powerful platform for strengthening Kenya’s blood supply. Postpartum haemorrhage often requires emergency blood transfusions, yet shortages remain common. Working with county health departments and local football clubs, the Kenya Tissue and Transplant Authority (KTTA) could organise highly visible match-day blood donation drives, helping replenish regional blood banks while promoting a culture of voluntary donation.
Third, counties should establish formal partnerships with transport Saccos and boda boda associations that already support local sports. Through county sports budgets or tournament revenues, these partnerships could guarantee emergency transport for pregnant women whenever complications arise, eliminating one of the biggest barriers to accessing lifesaving care.
Kenya has only a narrow window to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals on maternal and newborn survival. EWENE’s six-month Maternal and Newborn Health Rapid Results Initiative seeks to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths by 15 per cent. Achieving that ambition will require far more than policy documents or awareness campaigns confined to health facilities.
Maternal mortality is not simply a medical challenge; it is a national one that demands national participation.
Football has already shown its power to unite Kenyans in celebration. It can also unite us in protecting mothers and newborns.
Perhaps the most important whistle Kenya needs to hear is not the one that signals the end of a match, but the one that prompts a community to act before another mother or baby is lost.
Dr Richard Mogeni Mogaka is the Chairman of the Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society (KOGS) – North Rift Branch. He holds an MBChB and an MMed in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from Moi University, and a Master’s degree in the Biotechnology of Human Assisted Reproduction and Embryology from IVI Valencia.
