A multi-actor partnership to strengthen specialized medicine in Kenya

The WHO recommends a minimum ratio of 2.3 health care workers per 1,000 inhabitants. Kenya only makes it to 1.5. Out of the 20,000 nurses in the country, only 13 percent have completed specialized training, and accordingly have a very poor reputation.  

Specialized medical professions are marginalized, even though these professionals are vital to society: rapid and effective emergency care could prevent 45 percent of all deaths and 36 percent of all disabilities.

Health facilities often lack the necessary technical equipment

Until now, Kenyan health policy has mainly been developed by government and large companies. However, Kenya's “Vision 2030” underlines the importance of strengthening health facilities in underserved areas. This has opened up new opportunities for health experts from non-governmental organizations.

We want to support Kenya in expanding and strengthening the specialized medicine sector. To this end:

• We will work to help expand Kenya's capacities for specialized medical professions
• We will work to help ensure important medicines and basic technologies are available in health care facilities

Malteser International is coordinating various measures to engage people in order to strengthen the specialized medicine sector. We target people interested in training, as well as those who are involved in or have completed training.

We contribute by:

• Sensitizing relevant actors to the importance of specialized medical professions., We jointly identify problems and fields of action in regional workshops and work to develop viable solutions and strategies.
• Working closely with educational institutions in order to make trainingmore accessible by lowering financial hurdles as well as establishing a fixed teaching and examination program. In future, we aim to start pilot projects for internships in specialized health care professions.
• Strengthening occupational groups. We involve the specialized medical professions in strong trade unions and support them with public relations work in the media.
• Tranfserring expertise. German universities and companies provide Kenyan healthcare institutions with modern medical technology as part of a strategic alliance.

The initiative will be led by the Kenyan HealthCare Federation (KHF), AMREF Health Africa and health experts from Malteser International.