Kenya and the United States advanced a new partnership framework to support Universal Health Coverage after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale held bilateral talks with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.
In a statement posted on X on Saturday, Dec. 6, Duale said the discussions reaffirmed the two countries’ long-standing collaboration in public health and aligned with Kenya’s drive to strengthen primary care and expand access to essential services nationwide.
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Duale said the talks centered on four priorities designed to accelerate Kenya’s UHC agenda:
- a fit-for-purpose health workforce
- sustainable health financing
- secure access to health products and technologies
- a resilient, digitised health system
“Our discussions focused on four priorities: a fit-for-purpose health workforce, sustainable health financing, secure access to health products and technologies and a resilient, digitised health system. I underscored the need for strong multidisciplinary primary healthcare teams, supported by a well-equipped community health workforce, to deliver quality services at the community and primary care levels,” Duale said.
The Cabinet Secretary highlighted ongoing reforms under Social Health Insurance, administered by the Social Health Authority, which he said now covers more than 27.6 million Kenyans. The reforms are part of a broader effort to shift care toward prevention and community-level services while ensuring patients can access treatment without financial hardship.
Duale said Nairobi and Washington also examined opportunities to deepen cooperation with U.S. industry, academia and government agencies on technology transfer, regulatory harmonization and health innovation — especially to expand local production of vaccines, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics.
“We explored deeper partnerships with the U.S industry, academia and government to advance technology transfer, regulatory harmonisation and innovation, especially in expanding local production of vaccines, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics,” he said.
He welcomed the United States’ commitment to a government-to-government framework, describing it as a vital step to align investment with Kenya’s national health priorities. The move is intended to help Kenya secure reliable access to quality-assured medical products, build regulatory capacity and strengthen digital health systems that can support surveillance, supply-chain visibility and patient services at scale.
Separately, President William Ruto called his week of engagements in Washington, D.C., a defining milestone in the U.S.–Kenya partnership. He expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump and his administration for what he called exceptional hospitality and a renewed commitment to strategic cooperation.
Ruto said the consultations marked a watershed in the two nations’ ties and pointed to a reinforced health pillar within the broader relationship. According to the president, Kenya and the United States agreed on new measures to improve disease surveillance, expand primary healthcare and accelerate adoption of advanced medical technologies — areas that dovetail with Kenya’s UHC reforms and plans to digitize health services.
The developments underscore Kenya’s bid to strengthen primary care through community health workers and multidisciplinary teams, ensure sustainable health financing under the Social Health Authority and reduce reliance on imports by growing domestic manufacturing of essential health products. Officials said the emerging framework with Washington aims to channel resources and know-how into these priorities while maintaining alignment with national strategies.
Neither side immediately released timelines or financial details tied to the next phase of cooperation. But both frames — from Cabinet-level talks with HHS to high-level engagements at the presidency — point to a consolidated approach linking workforce training, financing reforms, supply security and digital transformation as Kenya pursues universal health access.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
