• She says globally, nurses provide over 80 per cent of healthcare services.
• Health CS says Kenya’s efforts to achieve UHC can only be realised through skilled and motivated medical staff.
Image: /FILE
First Lady Margaret Kenyatta wants nurses prioritised in the push for universal health coverage.
She said public health nursing is central to the functioning of any health system and should be adequately resourced in terms of manpower, equipment and continuous capacity building.
“It will certainly benefit all our healthcare systems if we invest in building a strong cadre of public health nurses, through rigorous training, specialisation and practice to enhance their skills,” the First Lady said.
She spoke on Tuesday when she presided over the opening of the 5th Global Network for Public Health Nursing Conference in Nairobi.
“In my work and visits to health centres across Kenya, I have witnessed the role of nurses and community health workers as key influencers in the health and well-being of patients, communities and the populations they serve,” she said.
The public nursing conference, whose theme is "Public health nurses achieving sustainable development goals (SDG) 3-Good health and wellbeing," is being held in Africa for the first time.
The First Lady said a strong health system requires a competent and caring workforce, pointing out that globally, nurses provide over 80 per cent of healthcare services.
“I have seen your hard work, your combined talents and dedication. You are the first point of contact with the community - sometimes braving very challenging conditions,” she added.
Health CS Sicily Kariuki said Kenya’s efforts to achieve the UHC can only be realised through skilled and motivated medical staff.
"The UHC calls for reorganisation of our health set up with a focus on promotive and preventive health," she said.
Kariuki said global health problems require global partnerships. She expressed optimism that the three-day conference will come up with resolutions that will help resolve challenges facing public health, especially nursing services.
Education CS George Magoha said he will continue working closely with his health counterpart to ensure the country grows its nursing workforce to meet international standards.
The government, he said, will ensure the highly trained Kenyan nurses are retained in the country by taming the emigration of local nurses into other countries.
“We need to train more nurses, employ them, retain them and empower them,” Magoha said.
Other speakers included University of Nairobi vice chancellor Peter Mbithi and Global Network for Public Health Nursing chairperson Linda Smith.