Health Cabinet Secretary Hon Aden Duale today held bilateral talks with the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) delegation led by Ntuli Kapologwe at Afya House, reaffirming Kenya’s commitment to strengthening regional health collaboration.
Discussions aligned Kenya’s priorities with resolutions of the 76th Health Ministers Conference, with a focus on Universal Health Coverage, primary healthcare, and digital health transformation.
The meeting placed strong emphasis on sustainable health financing—highlighting pooled funding, blended finance, and public-private partnerships as critical to reducing donor dependence. Both sides also underscored the need to strengthen regional health emergency preparedness through early warning systems, coordinated response mechanisms, and cross-border collaboration.
Kenya reiterated support for advancing digital health interoperability and harmonised regional data-sharing standards, positioning ECSA-HC as a key platform for coordination.
The talks further addressed the dual burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, with renewed calls for joint action on antimicrobial resistance and strengthened disease surveillance.
On health workforce development, the CS pointed to ongoing investments in training and retention, while encouraging regional cooperation on skills recognition and mobility.
Kenya also highlighted its ambition to position itself as a regional hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing through policy harmonisation and resilient supply chains.
Reaffirming Kenya’s support for ECSA-HC, Hon. Duale called for strengthened partnerships, accountability, and regular progress reviews, noting ongoing regional initiatives including the World Bank-funded Health Emergency Preparedness Project implemented with ECSA-HC and IGAD.
The meeting was attended by Mary Muthoni, Patrick Amoth, alongside ECSA-HC officials Dr. Evelyne Wesangula and Dr. Khalid Azam.
By Anthony Solly
