Kenya is stepping up efforts to strengthen its health and nutrition systems through strategic partnerships aimed at eliminating malnutrition and advancing the country’s healthcare transformation agenda. Recent high-level discussions with global and local stakeholders focused on aligning resources, improving service delivery, and ensuring that nutrition remains at the core of Primary Healthcare and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The talks centered on innovative approaches to joint resource mobilization, particularly through alternative financing, to reduce the national burden of malnutrition. While overall malnutrition rates stand at 4 percent, the challenge remains acute in arid and semi-arid regions where it can rise as high as 15 percent. Addressing this disparity requires targeted interventions, strengthened community-based strategies, and enhanced collaboration across multiple sectors.
A central theme was the reinforcement of the Community Health Strategy by leveraging Community Health Promoters (CHPs) and the electronic Community Health Information System (eCHIS). By integrating technology into community-level health services, eCHIS provides real-time data that supports decision-making, improves service delivery, and enhances performance tracking. This approach not only strengthens accountability but also ensures that vulnerable populations are reached with life-saving interventions in a timely manner.
Participants also agreed on a roadmap for progress reviews every six months to evaluate achievements and identify areas requiring further investment. Co-investment in proven models such as resilient supply chains, stronger health worker capacity, and more efficient data sharing was highlighted as a way to sustain momentum. Such models are expected to safeguard the continuity of nutrition programs and improve long-term outcomes.
The discussions underscored the importance of a multi-sectoral approach in tackling malnutrition. By aligning the contributions of health agencies, non-governmental organizations, and development partners, the government aims to mobilize more resources, track measurable results, and ensure that nutrition becomes a central driver of healthcare and economic growth.
Nutrition was recognized not only as a health priority but also as a catalyst for productivity and development. Strengthened nutrition systems contribute to healthier communities, enhance resilience to disease, and support stronger economic performance by reducing the health costs associated with malnutrition.
Through these partnerships, Kenya is setting a clear path toward building a resilient health system that integrates nutrition into its broader vision of healthcare transformation, with the ultimate goal of delivering equitable, efficient, and sustainable health services for all.
