Ministry of Health partners with World Bank for US$335M primary care transformation
The investments will focus on improving primary healthcare, expanding access to essential services and strengthening the country’s ability to respond to public health emergencies.
KENYA—Kenya is stepping up efforts to strengthen its health system through two major World Bank-supported projects worth a combined US$335 million.
The investments will focus on improving primary healthcare, expanding access to essential services, and strengthening the country’s ability to respond to public health emergencies.
Cabinet Secretary for Health Hon. Aden Duale held strategic discussions with Ronald Mutasa and a World Bank delegation to review progress and priorities under the two projects.
The investments comprise the Building Resilient and Responsive Health Systems (BREHS) Project and the Kenya Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience (KHEPRR) Project.
The two initiatives are designed to support Kenya’s progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) while improving the country’s preparedness for health emergencies and emerging threats.
Strengthening primary healthcare
The discussions placed particular emphasis on strengthening Primary Health Care (PHC) and expanding access to quality health services at the community level.
The investments will support improvements in Level 2 and Level 3 health facilities, enabling more Kenyans to access essential services closer to where they live.
Strengthening these facilities is expected to improve the delivery of routine healthcare and reduce the need for patients to travel long distances to access services that can be provided at lower levels of the health system.
The projects will also support efforts to improve the responsiveness of health institutions and frontline services.
This includes strengthening the capacity of health facilities and health workers to provide accessible, affordable and quality care.
Enhancing health emergency preparedness
Alongside primary healthcare improvements, the World Bank investments will strengthen Kenya’s capacity to prevent, prepare for and respond to public health emergencies.
The KHEPRR Project will support efforts to improve the country’s health security by strengthening systems needed to detect and manage emerging health threats.
These capabilities are important as Kenya continues to address infectious disease outbreaks and other emergencies that can strain the health system.
The BREHS Project will complement these efforts by supporting a more resilient and responsive health system that can maintain essential services during periods of disruption.
Focus on measurable health improvements
Duale reaffirmed the Ministry of Health’s commitment to working closely with the World Bank to ensure that the investments translate into measurable improvements across the health sector.
The partnership will focus on strengthening health institutions, improving frontline services and enhancing health outcomes for Kenyans.
The Ministry will also work to ensure that resources allocated to the projects support improvements that communities feel directly.
The meeting brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Health and the World Bank as Kenya continues to implement reforms to improve healthcare delivery and strengthen national health security.
Also present were Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr Ouma Oluga and the Ministry’s Director of Public Health and Sanitation, Dr Stephen Muleshe.
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