Kenya, UK boost health partnership in new deal

NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 8 – Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has announced fresh steps to strengthen Kenya’s health system after holding bilateral talks with a United Kingdom delegation led by UK Chargé d’Affaires Dr. Ed Barnett.

The meeting, held in Nairobi on Monday, focused on fast-tracking Kenya’s progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and expanding collaboration in disease surveillance, local manufacturing, and digital health reforms.

Duale said the UK had committed to supporting Kenya in critical areas such as outbreak analytics, laboratory system upgrades, and preparedness for high-threat pathogens.

“Kenya stands to gain immensely from the UK’s expertise, especially as we strengthen cross-border surveillance and improve our readiness for emerging health threats,” Duale said. “This partnership is about saving lives and building a resilient health system.”

Both sides also identified priority areas to boost local pharmaceutical manufacturing, including Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance, technology transfer, product-quality assurance, and digital authentication systems.

“Our goal is to establish county-level manufacturing hubs that can feed into regional and global value chains,” Duale said. “With strong UK support, we are steadily working toward achieving WHO Maturity Level 3.”

The Cabinet Secretary briefed the delegation on reforms under the Social Health Authority (SHA), noting that Kenya hopes to tap into the UK’s experience through the National Health Service (NHS).

“We see clear opportunities for collaboration on digital governance and health-financing reforms,” he added.

The talks also focused on plans to grow Kenya’s research and innovation ecosystem through the UK–Kenya Health Global Innovation Network, focusing on AI-enabled diagnostics, early screening technologies and commercialization of local innovations.

Dr. Barnett said the UK remained committed to strengthening bilateral health ties.

“We value Kenya as a key partner in building a strong, modern and responsive health sector,” he said. “Our cooperation continues to deliver solutions in cancer care, molecular diagnostics and clinical research.”

Duale said the meeting reinforced the central role of technology and innovation within the Kenya–UK Health Alliance, which currently supports oncology partnerships, virtual tumour boards and UK-based oncology fellowships.

He also referenced Kenya’s recently signed Health and Data Sharing Cooperation Framework with the United States and preparations for the World Health Summit Africa, which Kenya will host in April 2026.

“Kenya’s health agenda is anchored on innovation, integration and global partnerships,” Duale said. “We are building a system that works for every Kenyan.”