The Government of Kenya is determined to improve access to and equity of quality essential health care services and to ensure that the health sector plays its role in the realization of Vision 2030, public service reforms and the Millennium Development Goals. We, however, recognize that it will be difficult to achieve these ambitious health milestones we have set,
especially the achievement of Millennium Development Goals without improving the quality, quantity and distribution of the health workforce. Inadequate numbers of skilled human resource have had a negative impact on efforts to expand access and improve the quality of health services. This situation has been aggravated by the continued high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, which remain the leading killer diseases in the country.
Kenya’s health sector recognizes that human resources for health constraints are a critical ingredient hampering Kenya’s health sector planning, service delivery and ultimately national health outcomes. Against this background, the sector has taken on the task of defining long-term strategies for addressing the constraints to human resource development and management so as to effectively improve health service delivery. Thus, this strategy presents an analysis of the current human resources situation in the country, the contextual factors, and some of the influences, key issues and constraints across the sector. To address these issues, the plan proposes a series of interlinked strategies to remedy the situation and improve the quality and efficiency of service delivery under the devolved system of government.
The core human resource challenges identified in the strategy cut across the sector. They span across virtually all the critical human resources areas, including policy and institutional arrangements, human resources planning, recruitment and placement, performance management and appraisal, reward and motivation, capacity building, and employee welfare. The plan proposes broad goals to address these challenges and modernize Kenya’s human resources for health as a crucial element in the delivery of health services to the whole country, and particularly to areas that were hitherto underserved. In addition, the strategy incorporates the Country HRH Commitments as declared in the 3rd Global HRH Conference held in Brazil in November 2013, and strategies of its implementation.
While acknowledging the sector’s long-standing human resource challenges, the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the 47 County Departments of Health is committed to providing effective leadership to facilitate the implementation of this strategy. This commitment aims to not only accelerate the achievement of the national health targets set by the Third National Health Sector Strategic Plan (NHSSP III) and the Millennium Development Goals, but also to realize Vision 2030. The County Departments of Health are therefore urged to identify with the Country HRH priorities for adoption and implementation through the County HRH Strategic Plans in line with devolved management of health workers.
We recognize that successful implementation of the strategy requires the concerted effort and commitment of a wide range of stakeholders in different health subsectors and others outside the health sector. In this regard, the National Ministry of Health and the County Health Departments will continue to provide stewardship in coordination of the sector and further strengthen future engagement processes. We strongly believe that, it is the sum total of all our efforts – big or small – that will contribute to better quality of life for our people and the reversal of the declining health status. The development of this strategy is highly welcome as it constitutes a significant addition to our HRH interventions. We are sure future editions will expand and improve on the information available in this issue, especially as the devolution of human resources for health takes shape in the country.