Early indirect impact of COVID-19 pandemic on utilization and outcomes of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services in Kenya

SHIKUKU, D. N.; Nyaoke, I.; Gichuru, S.; Maina, O.; Eyinda, M.; Godia, P.; Nyaga, L.; Ameh, C.

Background: The COVID-19 global pandemic is expected to result in 8.3-38.6% additional maternal deaths in many low-income countries. The objective of this paper was to determine the initial impact of COVID-19 pandemic on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) services in Kenya. Methods: Data for the first four months (March-June) of the pandemic and the equivalent period in 2019 were extracted from Kenya Health Information System. Two-sample test of proportions for hospital attendance for select RMNCAH services between the two periods were computed. Results: There were no differences in monthly mean ({+/-}SD) attendance between March-June 2019 vs 2020 for antenatal care (400,191.2{+/-}12,700.0 vs 384,697.3{+/-}20,838.6), hospital births (98,713.0{+/-}4,117.0 vs 99,634.5{+/-}3,215.5), family planning attendance (431,930.5{+/-}19,059.9 vs 448,168.3{+/-}31,559.8), post-abortion care (3,206.5{+/-}111.7 vs 448,168.3{+/-}31,559.8) and pentavalent 1 immunisation (114,701.0{+/-}3,701.1 vs 110,915.8{+/-}7,209.4), p>0.05. However, there were increasing trends for adolescent pregnancy rate, significant increases in FP utilization among young people (25.7% to 27.0%), injectable (short-term) FP method uptake (58.2% to 62.3%), caesarean section rate (14.6% to 15.8%), adolescent maternal deaths (6.2% to 10.9%) and fresh stillbirths (0.9% to 1.0%) with a reduction in implants (long-term) uptake (16.5% to 13.0%) (p<0.05). No significant change in maternal mortality ratio between the two periods (96.6 vs 105.8/100,000 live births, p=0.1023) although the trend was increasing. Conclusion: COVID-19 may have contributed to increased adolescent pregnancy, adolescent maternal death and stillbirth rates in Kenya. If this trend persists, recent gains achieved in maternal and perinatal health in Kenya will be lost. With uncertainty around the duration of the pandemic, strategies to mitigate against catastrophic indirect maternal health outcomes are urgently needed. Key words: COVID-19, maternal, reproductive, stillbirths, family planning, adolescent, mortality, Kenya.