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Surviving cervical cancer then taking on a new battle

03 February 2020

Five years ago, news that she had cervical cancer shattered Millicent Kagonga’s world. It upended her marriage, she was spurned by family and friends, and lost a child while undergoing treatment she could barely afford. Her agony seemed endless. But months of painful therapy stopped the spread of the cancer and the thirty-year-old mother of two has now taken on a fresh battle: helping patients and survivors of the disease cope better. We bring her story in her own words.

Kenya takes vital step against cervical cancer and introduces HPV vaccine into routi...

18 October 2019

With President Uhuru Kenyatta leading the way, Kenya today joins an increasing number of African countries taking a vital step against a common cause of death among women – in the country and the region – by introducing the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine against cervical cancer into its routine immunization schedule.

Cabinet Secretary Hon Sicily Kariuki, right, WR Dr Rudi Eggers join other dignitaries to celebrate malaria vaccine roll-ou

Sense of relief as families embrace malaria vaccine roll out in Kenya

24 September 2019

September 13, will forever be a memorable day for Noreen Koech, 22 - Recently, she watched with tears running down her face as her 6-month old son Elian Koech became a momentous sensation as he led the pack in receiving Kenya’s first dose of Malaria vaccine during the roll out.

Mothers and children at the Malaria vaccine roll-out in Homa Bay Kenya

Kenya rolls out landmark malaria vaccine introduction

16 September 2019

Homa Bay, Kenya, 13 September 2019 – The World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates the Government of Kenya for launching the world’s first malaria vaccine today in Homa Bay County, western Kenya.
The malaria vaccine pilot programme is now fully underway in Africa, as Kenya joins Ghana and Malawi to introduce the landmark vaccine as a tool against a disease that continues to affect millions of children in Africa.

Vet experts take samples from the sick goats as Jackson and his neighbor watch

Cross-border Field Simulation Exercise comes to a close

18 June 2019

Tipapa and his community were participants in a Field Simulation Exercise which occurred 11-14 June at the Namanga One Stop Border Post and the surrounding areas in both Kenya and Tanzania.

Dr Rudi Eggers, right, WHO Kenya Representative and Dr Werner Schultink, UNICEF Representative, hand over the MNTE certificate to Dr Rashid Aman, Chief Administration Secretary, MOH, Kenya

Kenya now eliminates maternal and neonatal tetanus

22 February 2019

February 22, 2019

Kenya has attained maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination status, MNTE, following a successful WHO-led validation process in 2018 to confirm the elimination of the disease. The process was preceded by a pre-validation assessment in September 2017 done by the Ministry of Health with the support of WHO and UNICEF.
Elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) means a reduction of neonatal tetanus incidence to below one case per 1000 live births per year in every district (county).

Dr Tedros with President Uhuru Kenyatta (on his left) and other Kenyan leaders during the UHC programme roll out, Kisumu city

Kenya rolls out Universal Health Coverage

23 December 2018

The WHO call for ‘Leaving no one behind’ and ‘delivering the Triple Billion Together!’ found great resonance in Immaculate Otene’s words. The mother of four who attended the Kenyan launch of the Universal Health Coverage, UHC, programme in Kisumu City recently expressed her gratitude for the newly launched UHC pilots which she said promised better health and future for her and her family.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa chairs the HHA meeting flanked by other partners

Regional Directors renew commitment for strengthened health in Africa

23 October 2018

The 10th Harmonization for Health in Africa (HHA) annual Regional Directors meeting has ended in Nairobi with a renewed commitment to optimize joint efforts towards health systems strengthening for realization of Universal Health coverage (UHC) and health security in Africa.

Members of the public at the Garissa venue for Horn of Africa polio launch

Horn of Africa countries in a communique to speed up polio eradication

15 September 2018

The global polio eradication initiative got new impetus recently as four countries from the Horn of Africa Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) met in Garissa, Kenya, in a show of unity to end the spread of polio in the region. The event took place on September 15, 2018.
Health ministers and representatives from Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan signed a communique under the auspices of Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which further reinforced their support and future actions towards this goal.

Kenyan health workers in a march to create awareness about the need to immunize children against polio

Kenya in determined effort to keep polio virus at bay

26 August 2018

Kenya remains determined to keep the country free of the polio virus following a finding of a circulating vaccine-derived polio virus in an environmental water sample in Nairobi last April.
Earlier in the month, the Ministry of Health launched Round Two of its planned polio campaign covering 12 counties at risk and targeting 2.8 under five children. Round Zero of the supplemental Immunization Activity was done in Nairobi only targeting 800,000 children while Round One done in July vaccinated 2.5 million children in the 12 counties.

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