Explore the transformative journey of Kenya’s free maternity care policy. We trace the policy’s evolution from the historic 2013 presidential directive to the modern Linda Jamii program. Why did hospital deliveries surge by nearly 100% while frontline clinicians and healthcare staff faced near collapse conditions? From delays in hospital reimbursements to the hard reality of bed-sharing, Lydia Okutoyi and I discuss the implementation gaps behind the well-meaning promise. Our look at maternal health and Universal Health Coverage has lessons for policymakers, healthcare leaders, and the public.

References:

• Lang’at E, Mwanri L, Temmerman M. Effects of implementing free maternity service policy in Kenya: an interrupted time series analysis. BMC Health Serv Res. 2019;19:645. doi:10.1186/s12913-019-4462-x
• Musee  ...