Kuwait requires reporting of stillbirths after 24 weeks within 48 hours

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 3: Decree-Law No. 107 of 2024 has been published in the Official Gazette, amending the first paragraph of Article 7 of Law No. 36 of 1969, which governs the registration of births and deaths. The first article of the Decree-Law specifies that the phrase “after 28 weeks of pregnancy” in the initial paragraph of Article 7 is to be replaced with “after 24 weeks of pregnancy.” The explanatory memorandum accompanying Decree-Law No. 107 highlights that this amendment aligns with similar legislation in neighboring countries and reflects advancements in the services and care available for premature newborns, which have significantly improved in recent years.


The first article of the draft Decree-Law mandates that all deceased individuals in the State of Kuwait, including stillborn children after 24 weeks of pregnancy, must be reported to the appropriate health office within 48 hours of death or delivery.

In another development, the Ministry of Health has announced the initiation of a process to renew and maintain information security protection devices in the main operating room of the Information Systems Department, involving companies that are specialized in this area and registered with the Central Agency for Information Technology, under specified general and special conditions.

Additionally, the ministry revealed plans to launch several initiatives to supply consumables for cardiac care at Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital and Al-Sadri Hospital, as well as disposable endoscopes for various departments in health centers and hospitals. This includes consumables required for arthroscopic bone and joint ligament surgeries at Jahra Hospital, consumables for shoulder surgery at Farwaniya Hospital, and plates and screws for hip joint fixation at Al-Razi Hospital, along with consumables for shoulder joint replacement procedures at the same hospital.