Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has held talks with Council of Governors (CoG) chairperson Muthomi Njuki on strengthening cooperation between the national and county governments to improve healthcare delivery across Kenya.
The discussions focused on the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Taifa Care, primary healthcare services and accountability in publicly funded medical programmes.
In a statement following the meeting, Duale said the two sides had reaffirmed their commitment to working together to address challenges affecting healthcare delivery under Kenya's devolved system of governance.
“Recognising health as a devolved function, we reaffirmed the importance of close cooperation in advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC), implementing Taifa Care, strengthening primary healthcare and accelerating compliance with the Health Management Information Systems (HMIS),” Duale stated.
Njuki, who is also the Governor of Tharaka Nithi County, visited Duale accompanied by members of the CoG secretariat.
The meeting reviewed compliance with HMIS requirements, with Duale reporting that Level 2 and Level 3 health facilities were approaching 100 per cent compliance, compared with 79 per cent among Level 4 and Level 5 facilities.
The two leaders discussed extending implementation timelines to allow counties to meet the requirements.
Duale also highlighted the proposed Presbyopia Glasses Project, supported by the Livelihoods Impact Fund, which is already underway in seven counties. Two of the counties are providing free eyeglasses under the initiative.
Presbyopia is an age-related condition that makes it difficult to focus on nearby objects.
The welfare of Community Health Promoters (CHPs) also featured in the discussions, with the Health CS emphasising the need for timely and consistent remuneration for the frontline workers.
On disease surveillance, the two leaders reviewed ongoing measures to strengthen Ebola preparedness, particularly in border counties, through equipment provision, public awareness campaigns and capacity-building for surveillance teams.
Duale also issued a firm position on medical outreach programmes, insisting that free medical and surgical camps should not generate bills for the Social Health Authority (SHA).
“On medical outreach programmes, we reiterated that free medical and surgical camps must remain free and should not be billed to the Social Health Authority (SHA),” he said.
He added that counties would be required to submit patient lists, identification details and camp dates to strengthen accountability and safeguard public resources.
Duale said the national and county governments had committed to sustained dialogue to resolve implementation challenges and ensure Kenyans access quality, affordable and equitable healthcare.
The meeting was also attended by Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga, Director-General for Health Patrick Amoth and CoG Director of Health Khatra Ali, alongside other ministry officials.