PS Oluga Calls for Stronger Govt-Private Sector Partnership to Strengthen Health Systems
Dr. Oluga identified maternal and newborn health and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as key investment priorities.
Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr. Ouma Oluga. Photo: Ministry of Health.
By Robert Mutasi
Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr. Ouma Oluga has called for stronger collaboration between the Government and the private sector to deliver sustainable investments that strengthen entire health systems and respond to Kenya’s evolving healthcare needs.
Speaking at a high-level stakeholder engagement convened by the Safaricom Foundation and M-PESA Foundation at the JW Marriott Hotel in Nairobi, Dr. Oluga said philanthropic investments should align with Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) reforms and support long-term, county-owned solutions that can be scaled nationally.
The engagement brought together Government, development partners, academia, civil society and private sector leaders to guide the Foundations’ future health investments and identify areas where their support can achieve the greatest impact over the next decade.
Dr. Oluga identified maternal and newborn health and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as key investment priorities. He noted that while Kenya has made progress in reducing maternal deaths, more needs to be done to ensure every mother and newborn has access to quality, timely care.
He called for increased support for quality infrastructure, diagnostics, medical equipment, oxygen systems, blood transfusion services, emergency referrals and the health workforce, which remain critical gaps in many counties.
The PS proposed an integrated demonstration programme combining fully functional maternal and newborn centres, NCD centres of excellence, digital connectivity, referral systems, equipment maintenance, commodity security and county co-financing. He said such a model would show what is possible when systems work together.
Dr. Oluga emphasized the central role of digital health in enabling real-time referrals, teleconsultations, ambulance coordination, equipment monitoring, continuity of care and better clinical decision-making. He said digital platforms are key to linking primary health care to higher-level facilities.
He urged partners to move beyond stand-alone infrastructure projects and invest in complete systems that integrate facilities, healthcare workers, diagnostics, medicines, digital platforms, supply chains, maintenance, monitoring and evaluation for lasting impact.
“We must stop building isolated projects and start investing in systems that work. A building without equipment, health workers, oxygen, blood, medicines and a referral system cannot save a mother or a newborn,” he said.
Dr. Oluga invited the Safaricom Foundation and M-PESA Foundation to work with the Ministry over the next three to five years to support Every Woman Every Newborn Everywhere (EWENE) demonstration counties, integrated maternal and newborn centres, NCD centres of excellence, digital health transformation and county health system strengthening.
He acknowledged the Foundations’ longstanding contribution to maternal and newborn health, obstetric fistula management, community health interventions and health system strengthening, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to deepening private sector collaboration.
Also present were Member of the National Assembly Hon. Sabina Chege and Ministry of Health directors Dr. Isaack Bashir, Family Health; Dr. Nazilla, Health Products and Technologies; and Dr. Nancy Njeru, Healthcare Financing.
The forum is expected to shape the Foundations’ health investment roadmap for the next decade in support of Kenya’s journey to UHC.
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