Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha has underscored the government’s commitment to improve health outcomes in the country through constructive partnerships.
The health CS, who was engaged in a host of meetings with various health stakeholders for the better part of Wednesday, said the ministry of health has adopted a people-centred approach in healthcare delivery as it seeks to realize universal health coverage.
During the engagements, the health CS held talks with Danish ambassador to Kenya H.E Ole Thonke, UNAIDS country director Dr. Medhin Tsehaiu, US ambassador Meg Whitman, his Chinese counterpart H.E Zhou Pingjian, senior officials from the World Health Organisation country office, St. John Priory of Kenya, Makueni governor Mutula Kilonzo junior and Dr. Jane Chuma from the World bank Kenya country office. The CS also met officials from the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) who were among a joint team of heads of UN agencies directly working within the health sector in the country.
During the meeting with Ole Thonke, the CS commended the Danish people for their continued partnership with Kenya through Denmark’s Development Cooperation (DANIDA) welcoming Danida’s plan to support over 90,000 community Health Volunteers in the country. She further urged the Danish government to offer technological support to Kenya, especially to the new Biovax Institute that will be tasked with manufacturing drugs and other pharmaceutical products.
The CS at the same time pledged to have the ministry of health support St. John replenish emergency stocks across their various rescue centres as well as examine and certify St. John trainees undertaking emergency medical technician course (EMT) through the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC)
The CS also discussed a wide range of health-related issues with the Chinese ambassador to Kenya as well as areas of collaboration including China’s technological support to Kenya on healthcare delivery.
During the discussions, US ambassador Meg Whitman pledged the US commitment to support the Kenyan government realize its health agenda. She said the ground-breaking of the multibillion shillings mRNA manufacturing facility in Africa by Moderna Inc, a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, will be conducted soon. This even as she promised to offer technical support to Kenya to help in the establishment of Kenya Biovax Institute. With the health CS seeking the assistance of the US government in having a regional certification centre for nurses wishing to work in the USA established in Kenya, Whitman promised to engage those responsible with a view of having another centre established to supplement the one in South Africa.
Wednesday’s discussions resolved to have partners align their activities to support the government’s priority agenda of building a health nation through UHC, particularly through strengthening of primary health care, health financing reforms and leveraging on technology to improve efficiency in service delivery
According to the health CS, the engagements were meant to harmonize collaboration between the ministry and partners by streamlining operational processes among the different stakeholders.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.
