China will offer Kenyan students 500 scholarships in a new partnership that is set to boost the local health sector, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has said.
Duale also said that the Chinese government will engage Kenya in 20 annual exchange programmes meant to enhance the training of students in the local health sector.
In a statement on Monday, June 9, the Health CS said the initiatives will be fundamental in securing a solid future for the country's health leadership, in addition to reinforcing the overall capacity of the healthcare workforce.
However, the minister has not explained when the programmes are expected to start and how those eligible can apply for them.
The CS made the announcement after a meeting with a Chinese delegation led by Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan on Monday. The meeting discussed how the two governments can collaborate even as Kenya seeks to streamline its healthcare system.
"Underscoring the project as a gateway for deeper collaboration, the Cabinet Secretary welcomed China’s offer of 500 scholarships and 20 annual health exchange programmes as a key investment in Kenya’s future health leadership," the CS said.
The ministry has further revealed that the Chinese government has been at the vanguard in providing support and training to healthcare workers across the country.
Additionally, the ministry claims that the two governments are considering establishing a Kenya–China Health Cooperation Taskforce that will monitor the progress and the rollout of the Social Health Authority (SHA).
"Briefing the delegation on Kenya’s ongoing health sector reforms, particularly the SHA Duale, proposed the establishment of a Kenya–China Health Cooperation Taskforce to harmonise priorities, fast-track MoUs, and monitor progress," the ministry said.
"He also commended China’s ongoing support through technology firms like Huawei, which have been instrumental in equipping rural health facilities and training thousands of health workers," it added.
The ministry further claims that the two governments are set to collaborate in the establishment of local vaccine and pharmaceutical production hubs that will be equipped with Chinese technology.
The hubs, which are expected to be complete by 2028, will play a key role in strengthening the country's supply chains, reducing import dependency, and creating employment, according to the ministry.
"The USD 500 million transformative joint initiative seeks to strengthen Kenya’s supply chains, reduce import dependency, create employment in line with the government’s development agenda, and position Kenya as a continental leader in health product manufacturing—a vision expected to become a reality by 2028 with support from the Chinese government," the ministry stated.
The establishment of the hubs comes days after the ministry, in a statement on Friday, June 6, announced the arrival of Polio and Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccines that were meant to address the vaccine shortage healthcare facilities in the country are currently experiencing.
"The Ministry is actively redistributing available vaccine stocks in collaboration with the County Government to ensure equitable access to all Kenyans in all regions," the statement by the Principal Secretary, State Department for Medical Services, Ouma Oluga, read.
