Report | February 2026 | Download PDF

Kenya continues to face significant hurdles in the equitable provision of SRH services and commodities. While the national maternal mortality rate has seen a gradual decline, it remains high at 355 per 100,000 live births. Nationally, the uptake of modern contraceptives stands at 57% among currently married women and 59% for sexually active unmarried women aged 15–49. However, these national averages mask severe regional disparities; in Mandera, modern contraceptive use is critically low at just 1.8%, with similarly low rates in Marsabit (5.6%) and Isiolo (28.7%). In these counties, the unmet need for family planning remains a major crisis, reaching as high as 37.6%. Furthermore, among sexually active unmarried adolescents (15–19 years), the unmet need for family planning is estimated at 26% to 34%, highlighting a significant gap in youth-friendly services (KDHS, 2022).

This research therefore studied the availability, affordability and stockouts of 50 SRH commodities used for family planning, maternal healthcare, treatment of STIs, treatment of HIV/AIDS, in addition to several test kits and menstrual products, in Isiolo, Marsabit and Mandera counties in Kenya. By providing a comprehensive overview of the commodity landscape in these underserved regions, this study generates the evidence required to develop targeted policies that improve health outcomes for women and adolescents in Kenya’s most vulnerable counties. This report specifically focuses results in Mandera County.

What we found

While Kenya has made notable progress in SRH on a national level, counties, including Mandera, continue to face a silent crisis. With the rural poverty line set at KES 4,358 per month, the life-saving SRH commodities surveyed as part of this reach were all too often unaffordable for most households.

Meanwhile, the findings described below reveal low availability and frequent stockouts of almost all the essential SRH commodities surveyed. These shortages can be directly linked to teenage pregnancies, preventable maternal deaths and HIV/AIDS infections.

Learn more about SRH Commodities in Mandera County by downloading the full report (PDF)