CS for health: Investing in health systems should increase as per WHO in Kenya

Mutahi Kagwe, Cabinet Secretary for Health, believes that a greater emphasis on health workforce investment is required if the globe is to have stable and functional health systems.

The health secretary stated on the sidelines of the 75th World Health Assembly in Geneva that it is vital for the world to focus on resilient health systems supported by health professionals who are fit for purpose from production to active service to promote population health. According to Kagwe's proposals, there must be an investment in health workforce training and development.

This is a big expenditure that must be spent intelligently to get the intended health benefits. Medical personnel must be qualified to perform the tasks for which they have been hired. This is supported by the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic's failures. As the CS pointed out, the fact that Africa, like the rest of the world, is going through demographic and epidemiological shifts offers both difficulties and opportunities.

"In this context, steps must be done to strengthen the health workforce at this level, including community health workers and structures," said Kagwe, who was representing President Uhuru Kenyatta at the meeting.

According to Kenya's health secretary, the country has already put in place a variety of measures to address new health threats such as noncommunicable illnesses, antibiotic resistance, and new or re-emerging viruses such as Ebola and other hemorrhagic diseases.

COVID-19 has been a prominent topic since the first Health Assembly convened in Geneva, Switzerland, in June. The theme of this year's Health Assembly is "Health for Peace, Peace for Health."