The Ministry of Health is deepening collaborations with international partners to scale up nutrition programmes and strengthen healthcare delivery across the country.
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Hon. Aden Duale, on Friday held high-level discussions with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Kenya Coalition of Nutrition, led by Dr. David Miliband, focusing on eliminating malnutrition—a central pillar of the Taifa Care Model and Kenya’s broader healthcare transformation agenda.
The talks centred on joint resource mobilization through alternative financing, reducing the national malnutrition burden—currently at 4% but reaching up to 15% in arid and semi-arid regions—and reinforcing the Community Health Strategy.
This will be achieved by leveraging Community Health Promoters (CHPs) and the electronic Community Health Information System (eCHIS) to ensure real-time data collection, improved service delivery, and enhanced performance monitoring.
Participants committed to conducting six-monthly reviews to safeguard the continuity of life-saving nutrition programmes.
They also pledged co-investments in proven models that build resilient supply chains, enhance the capacity of health workers, and strengthen data-sharing systems.
Emphasis was placed on adopting a multi-sectoral approach to resource mobilization and results tracking, with nutrition positioned at the core of both Primary Healthcare and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Speaking during the meeting, CS Duale reiterated that nutrition is central to building healthier communities and achieving sustainable economic growth.
“Nutrition is not just about health outcomes; it drives productivity, resilience, and overall development. By placing nutrition at the heart of Primary Healthcare and UHC, we are securing a stronger, healthier future for our nation,” he said.
The meeting was also attended by Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Ms. Mary Muthoni; Director-General for Health, Dr. Patrick Amoth; World Vision’s Mr. Gilbert Kamanga; Action Against Hunger’s Ms. Janet Micheni; and other senior Ministry of Health officials.
