Kenya is experiencing a rapid epidemiological transition with Non-Communicable Diseases, and in particular Cardio-Metabolic Diseases (CMDs) on the increase. This places a high demand on a health workforce that is already constrained in number, is inequitably distributed to serve people in vulnerable positions, and has limited competences to provide prevention of and care for CMDs. This situation necessitates the need to strengthen the human resources component of the health system to effectively reduce the burden of CMDs for people living in vulnerable positions
It is against this background that the Novo Nordisk Foundation partners with WHO Kenya to strengthen health workforce education in Kenya, complementing the Foundation’s existing efforts under the Partnership for Education of Health Professionals (PEP) programme. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the capacity, quality, and relevance of Kenya’s health workforce in response to evolving population health needs and the country’s Universal Health Coverage agenda. This project builds on the system gaps identified in the Kenya Health Labour Market Analysis which was developed in a joint effort between WHO and Ministry of Health Kenya.
The partnership will support the transformation of health professions education through the adoption of competency-based approaches that better prepare health workers for the prevention, early detection, and management of priority conditions, including cardiometabolic diseases. Key areas of support include curriculum reform and improved alignment between training outputs and service delivery needs at all levels of care. In addition, the initiative will strengthen governance and coordination mechanisms across the health workforce education ecosystem, enhance national research and knowledge translation capacity, and support the development of sustainable financing and investment mechanisms for the health workforce. This includes advancing evidence-informed planning and integration of health workforce investments into national and county budgeting processes.
By building a skilled, responsive, and equitably distributed health workforce, the partnership aims to accelerate progress toward Universal Health Coverage, improve the quality of care, and strengthen the resilience of Kenya’s health system for the future.
