The Government has called for stronger cooperation among African countries in detecting and responding to disease outbreaks, with Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni warning that porous borders can make it difficult to contain infectious diseases.
Speaking during an interview on Radio Maisha’s Maisha Asubuhi programme, Muthoni said Kenya and its neighbours need to strengthen cross-border disease surveillance and share information quickly whenever an outbreak is detected.
She said coordinated action would be particularly important in responding to threats such as Ebola, where delays in identifying and containing cases can allow diseases to spread across borders.
Muthoni emphasized the need for African countries to work together as opposed to being reactionary when there are disease outbreaks.
In addition to disease preparedness, the PS outlined reforms that have been undertaken to enhance health service delivery as well as progress towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
These included reforming the delivery of primary health care, enhancing the health work force, making medications and medical equipment accessible to all people as well as using digital means to deliver health care services.
Muthoni explained that close collaboration between the two levels of government is still key in realizing the benefits from these reforms in terms of health service delivery in Kenya.
The current health reforms have been informed by four new legislations passed in 2023; the Primary Health Care Act, Social Health Insurance Act, Digital Health Act and Facility Improvement Financing Act.
According to Muthoni, the legislations are meant to transform the health sector in the country by making it efficient, sustainable and giving people easy access to the health services.
