Harmonize Healthcare and training standards for sector professionals -Dr. Barasa

By Deborah BARASA

To achieve regional integration and sustainable growth, we must cultivate a highly skilled, competent, and mobile healthcare workforce capable of delivering quality services across borders.

This demands the harmonization of education and training standards for healthcare professionals, including Clinical Officers, Pharmaceutical Technologists, Nurses, Midwives, Public Health Officers, and others.

Aligning these standards will ensure common competencies, facilitate mobility across partner states, and enhance the credibility of our healthcare systems.

The regulation of health professions is integral to fostering resilient health systems, promoting patient safety, and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Through setting and upholding standards for professional ethics, entry, licensure, and practice, regulation ensures quality care while sustaining public confidence in health services.

Harmonized internship training across the EAC is a critical element of this endeavor. It bridges the transition from academic knowledge to practical expertise under mentorship, ensuring healthcare professionals are well-prepared to address the evolving needs of our populations.

By addressing gaps in training, certification, and oversight, we can ensure excellence in healthcare delivery, ethical practice, and the mobility of health professionals, while fostering a shared vision of quality care for all East Africans.

Harmonizing public health curricula is a pivotal step toward strengthening our healthcare systems and achieving better health outcomes. Standardized training guidelines ensure high-quality education and align core competencies with regional and global best practices.

This harmonization promotes workforce mobility, enabling professionals to work seamlessly across borders and addressing workforce shortages with diverse expertise. It fosters collaboration among universities, colleges, and training institutions, enhancing the sharing of resources and expertise while building a more resilient healthcare system.

Furthermore, clear regulatory frameworks and inspection mechanisms ensure institutions meet rigorous standards, supporting capacity building, evidence-based decision-making, and continuous professional development.

The task of harmonizing undergraduate curricula across the EAC is ambitious but achievable through collective effort. This journey requires ongoing collaboration, inclusivity, and adaptability to reflect the diverse needs of our populations and align with global standards.

By involving all stakeholders—educators, professional bodies, and community representatives—we can create curricula that are inclusive, flexible, and sustainable. While challenges such as varying resources and regulatory environments persist, this initiative is not just about standardization—it is about shaping the future of healthcare in East Africa.

Kenya’s Ministry of Health is fully committed to supporting this vision through resource mobilization, stakeholder dialogue, and integration into national frameworks.

The expedited regulation of unregulated professionals, capacity-building initiatives, and strategic resource mobilization.

These steps will empower our health workforce to meet evolving demands while ensuring patient safety and quality care. I urge governments and stakeholders to prioritize these efforts and translate them into actionable outcomes that will drive systemic transformation.

The author is the CABINET SECRETARY FOR HEALTH IN KENYA