Kenya and World Bank Advance Key Health Projects
Advancing Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda requires strategic partnerships, efficient use of resources and a sustained focus on results.
Cabinet Secretary for Health Hon. Aden Duale held a high-level engagement with a World Bank delegation led by Ronald Mutasa to strengthen implementation of the Building Resilient and Responsive Health Systems (BREHS) Project and the Kenya Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience (KHEPRR) Project. The two projects are critical investments in transforming and strengthening Kenya’s health system.
Discussions focused on accelerating implementation, resolving operational bottlenecks and ensuring available resources translate into tangible improvements in healthcare delivery. With emerging regional public health threats highlighting the need for preparedness and resilience, the meeting underscored the urgency of using resources efficiently and directing investments towards interventions with the greatest impact on Kenyans’ health and well-being.
Hon. Duale reiterated the Government’s commitment to translating ongoing health sector reforms into measurable outcomes, building on progress made through the Social Health Authority (SHA), which has onboarded more than 33 million Kenyans. He also emphasised that investment in health must support Kenya’s wider economic transformation under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), including job creation, local manufacturing, workforce development and digital innovation.
A key priority was aligning development partner support with Government health sector priorities through the One Plan, One Budget, One Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. The coordinated approach is intended to improve implementation efficiency, strengthen health financing and accelerate digital health solutions and other priority interventions under the two projects.
The meeting also explored ways to enhance the capacity and sustainability of health facilities through the Facility Improvement Financing (FIF) framework. Hon. Duale emphasised the importance of protecting public resources through transparent financial management, prudent expenditure and strong accountability, while leveraging partnerships under Sustainable Development Goal 17 to expand access to quality healthcare.
The engagement called for stronger coordination between the national and county governments, transparent fund flows, consistent procurement reporting and timely resolution of implementation challenges. These measures are essential to ensuring project resources are used effectively and deliver meaningful improvements in healthcare access and quality.
The meeting brought together Principal Secretaries Dr. Ouma Oluga, Medical Services, and Ms. Mary Muthoni, Public Health and Professional Standards; Director-General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth; Social Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mercy Mwangangi; and representatives of the National Treasury, county governments and implementing partners.
The Ministry of Health continues to prioritise results-driven partnerships and coordinated implementation to build a resilient, responsive and sustainable health system that delivers quality healthcare for all Kenyans.