It is acknowledged the world over that 70 percent of newborn babies die before 7 days of life. In Kenya, according to the 2008-09 KDHS, the proportion is 82 percent. Early neonate deaths, i.e. deaths occurring in born alive babies before they clock 7days. Neonate deaths, on the other hand, are deaths occurring to newborn babies before completion of 28days after birth. Neonate causes account for 60 percent of under five mortality in Kenya compared to 40 percent globally. Neonatal mortality is one of the drivers of high fertility in Kenya.
Kenya has made a lot of progress towards achievement of especially MDG 2: Universal Primary Education (UPE) and is working hard towards the attainment of MDG 4 targets: Reduce by two-thirds, the under five mortality rate by 2015. However, the UN Global MDG report of 2010 warns that MDG will not be achieved unless great effort is put towards reducing neonatal and essentially, maternal deaths.
Despite great strides toward the achievement of MDG2, a correlation between neonate deaths and mothers’ education using the Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys (KDHS) datasets revealed that women with primary education carried a higher risk of losing a neonate compared to women with secondary and higher education. According to studies, secondary and higher education helps women to delay onset of reproduction.
To achieve MDG 4, Kenya needs to invest in higher education for girls.
