On May 8th, 2025, Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Aden Duale, hosted the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) team at Afya House in Nairobi to explore new areas of collaboration in public health and emergency response. The meeting, which brought together key health officials and the KRCS leadership, focused on expanding the partnership between the Ministry of Health (MoH) and KRCS in tackling pressing health issues and strengthening the country’s emergency response capabilities.
Dr. Ahmed Idris, the Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross Society, led the KRCS delegation and provided updates on their ongoing initiatives. These initiatives are closely aligned with the Ministry’s six priority health departments, demonstrating a shared commitment to enhancing public health and emergency response efforts across Kenya. The KRCS’s long-standing role in supporting health services, particularly in times of crisis, was acknowledged as a crucial aspect of Kenya’s health security infrastructure.
During the meeting, Hon. Duale emphasized the importance of building stronger collaboration between the Ministry and KRCS to improve health outcomes. He proposed three key areas for deepened cooperation:
- Formalizing Data-Sharing Protocols: One of the major points discussed was the need to establish formal data-sharing protocols between KRCS’s community-based surveillance systems and the national epidemic intelligence platforms. This would enhance the monitoring and tracking of disease outbreaks, enabling faster responses to potential public health emergencies. Such collaboration would improve the Ministry’s ability to detect, analyze, and address health threats in real-time, thereby bolstering the country’s preparedness for epidemics.
- Involvement in the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP): Hon. Duale also proposed exploring the possibility of involving KRCS in the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP). This program trains public health professionals in epidemiology, laboratory techniques, and emergency response, with a focus on developing critical skills for outbreak investigation and control. Integrating KRCS personnel into this training program would enhance their capacity to contribute to epidemiological investigations, laboratory work, and overall disease control efforts.
- Developing a Formal Framework for Emergency Response and Coordination: The third area of collaboration discussed was the need to create a formal framework to guide KRCS’s role in emergency response and coordination. This framework would clarify the roles and responsibilities of KRCS in emergency situations, ensuring that the organization can effectively support national health security initiatives. By formalizing KRCS’s involvement in emergency response, both the Ministry of Health and KRCS can work more cohesively to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and strengthen health security across the country.
These proposals are aligned with the Ministry of Health’s broader strategy to scale up primary health care as a pathway to achieving equitable and accessible health services. The Ministry has emphasized that strengthening primary health care systems is essential for improving overall health outcomes and ensuring that all Kenyans, regardless of their location or socioeconomic status, have access to quality health services.
The meeting was attended by other senior health officials, including Director General for Health Dr. Patrick Amoth, Acting Director General of the Kenya National Public Health Institute (KNPHI) Dr. Maureen Kamene, and Head of the National AIDS and STI Control Program (NASCOP) Dr. Andrew Mulwa. Their participation underscored the commitment of the Ministry of Health to working closely with KRCS to enhance health service delivery and emergency preparedness across Kenya.
In conclusion, the partnership between the Ministry of Health and the Kenya Red Cross Society is set to deepen, with the exploration of new collaborative initiatives aimed at strengthening public health systems, improving disease surveillance, and enhancing the country’s ability to respond effectively to emergencies. By aligning efforts in these critical areas, both organizations aim to contribute to the overall improvement of health outcomes and the achievement of Kenya’s health goals.
