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Kenya has rolled out an elaborate Climate Change and Health Strategy that will guide efforts in building sustainable climate-resilient healthcare.
Health systems in the country face direct climate impacts including the spread of water-borne diseases, vector borne diseases and heightened malnutrition risks.
With the country experiencing floods to drought and reduced rainfall, vulnerable populations have borne the brunt of climate impacts.
Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni noted that these health challenges particularly affecting vulnerable populations underscore the urgent need for climate resilient health systems.
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The Kenya Climate Change and Health Strategy 2024-2029 developed by the Ministry of Health outlines guides efforts to build sustainable and resilient healthcare.
7 priority areas
Kenya Climate Change and Health Strategy for 2024-2029 has identified seven critical Priority Areas vital to its implementation.
- Healthy energy transition and air quality: Our focus should be on promoting cleaner and sustainable energy sources to reduce air pollution.
- Sustainable and healthy food systems: Emphasising on the need to build robust, healthy, and sustainable food systems which enhance both human and planetary health.
- Water sanitation and healthcare waste management: Prioritising clean water access, sanitation services, and effective healthcare waste management strategies.
- Health risks and impact assessments, education, and awareness: Conducting thorough health risks assessments and focusing on enhancing awareness about their impacts.
- Healthcare resilience and disease surveillance: Building a resilient healthcare system and encouraging proactive disease surveillance and response systems.
- Health research and policy development: Undertaking significant health research to aid in robust policy development and implementation.
- Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL): Ensuring consistent monitoring and evaluation of our actions, fostering accountability, and promoting learning.
COP 29 and innovative financing
Leveraging on COP 29, the PS noted that the country is mobilizing resources and establishing new partnerships to enhance Kenya’s capacity to respond to climate impacts on health.
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“COP 29 provides a strategic platform for building partnerships to enhance these efforts. We are focused on establishing collaborations with global leaders, partners and financing institutions to secure the investments necessary for resilient healthcare.
We aim to mobilize resources to advance our climate health initiatives and explore innovative financing opportunities that will bolster our capacity to respond to climate impacts on health.” The PS noted.
Kenya’s pivotal role at COP29
As the chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), Kenya has taken the lead in championing the continent’s agenda at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
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Led by climate envoy Ambassador Ali Mohamed, AGN is pushing for $ 1.3 trillion to compensate for losses and damages caused by the impacts of climate change.
The negotiation team has a number of distinguished Kenyans including
Dr. George Wamukoya and Joyce Kimtai.