Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni Muriuki met the technical teams from Amref Health Africa and the State Department. The meeting took place on Monday, June 12. The Principal Secretary of the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards convened this meeting to reinforce their ongoing collaboration.
The primary objective was integrating policy areas into programs. The permanent secretary stated that the initiative aligns with the government of Kenya’s Strategic Direction.
During the meeting, the Principal Secretary emphasized the importance of establishing a resilient public health system that can effectively respond to emergencies and pandemics. The State Department plans to leverage partnerships with the relevant stakeholders of the healthcare industry. Further, Through the strength of these partnerships, they want to strengthen risk communication and community engagement to achieve this.
Additionally, they have initiated a concerted effort to establish a stockpile of laboratory reagents and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). The department is making several efforts to fortify the emergency response system.
The Principal Secretary also expanded upon the Ministry’s unwavering commitment. The department intends to train an adequate number of Field Epidemiologists continuously. According to the Ministry of Health update, these skilled professionals are pivotal in conducting routine surveillance. They are crucial to ensuring timely reports and facilitating prompt responses to public health incidents.
Further, the government is actively working on establishing surveillance and response strategies. According to the principal secretary of the ministry of health in the governmamt of Kenya, These initiatives will be crucial in outlining surveillance mechanisms. Additionally, they help delineate various stakeholders’ roles, fostering proper coordination.
The Principal Secretary Muriuki acknowledged and appreciated Amref Health Africa’s mission to improve the health of communities. They are also placing significant focus on women and young people, through Primary Health Care. She remarked that their approach, which centres on people and addresses social determinants of health, closely aligns with the government’s #AfyaBoraMashinani goal.
