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The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening healthcare services in refugee-hosting regions through an expanded partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), aimed at increasing the number of trained health professionals and improving access to quality medical education.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale hosted UNHCR Representative to Kenya, Ms. Fatima Mohamed-Cole, for high level discussions on deepening collaboration between the Ministry of Health, the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) and UNHCR.
The meeting focused on accelerating health workforce development while ensuring refugees and members of host communities have equal opportunities to access quality healthcare training.
During the meeting, the leaders reviewed the progress made at the KMTC Lodwar Campus, where the partnership has significantly enhanced learning opportunities through expanded infrastructure, modern training facilities and scholarship programmes benefiting both refugee and host community students.
According to the Ministry, the initiative has so far enrolled 175 learners in Community Health Nursing and Nursing Upgrading courses.
The graduates are expected to play a vital role in addressing healthcare workforce shortages while supporting the Government’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda.
Duale praised the collaboration as a practical model of inclusive development, noting that investing in health education creates lasting benefits for communities by producing skilled professionals capable of serving vulnerable populations.
The discussions also explored plans to replicate the Lodwar success story through the establishment of a new KMTC campus in Dadaab, Garissa County.
The proposed institution will align with the Government’s Shirika Plan, which seeks to promote sustainable integration, improved public services and economic opportunities within refugee-hosting areas.
If implemented, the Dadaab campus is expected to expand access to medical training for hundreds of young people while strengthening healthcare systems in one of Kenya’s largest refugee-hosting regions.
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Duale emphasized that developing a resilient health workforce remains central to achieving equitable healthcare access across the country.
He said partnerships between the Government, development agencies and training institutions are essential in preparing qualified health professionals who can respond to evolving public health challenges.
The Cabinet Secretary also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to working closely with UNHCR in strengthening health systems and ensuring no community is left behind regardless of status or location.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni, KMTC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Kelly Oluoch, senior officials from the Ministry of Health and representatives from UNHCR.
The renewed collaboration signals Kenya’s continued commitment to inclusive healthcare development, with education and workforce expansion at the centre of efforts to deliver quality health services to both refugees and host communities while advancing the country’s Universal Health Coverage goals.
