Kenya, US in fresh health talks as Duale meets Chargé d’Affaires Marc Dillard
Kenya and the United States have rekindled high-level bilateral talks aimed at strengthening strategic health cooperation and reviewing ongoing US assistance to Kenya’s health sector.
In a statement released on X on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed that he had held discussions with the US delegation led by Chargé d’Affaires Marc Dillard, focusing on key areas aligned with Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda.
“Held a bilateral meeting with the US delegation led by Chargé d’Affaires H.E. Marc Dillard to deepen strategic health collaboration and review US assistance to Kenya,” Duale stated.
He revealed that the meeting explored expanded cooperation in health workforce development, digital health, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), mental health, and climate health—a growing priority in global health discourse.
“We discussed expanded cooperation in health workforce development, digital health, non-communicable diseases, mental health and climate-health—key to advancing Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda,” Duale wrote.
Longstanding support
Duale also expressed appreciation for longstanding US support through initiatives such as PEPFAR, USAID, and the CDC.
He cited marked improvements in public health outcomes as a result of these collaborations, including a drop in mother-to-child HIV transmission from 21% in 2010 to 7.3% in 2023, and a reduction in AIDS-related deaths from 52,000 to 20,480 over the same period.
“I appreciated the US partnership… and the impact of programs like PEPFAR, USAID and CDC in fighting HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria,” Duale wrote.
According to the statement, the US delegation reaffirmed its country’s support for Kenya’s health priorities, signalling continued collaboration in the coming years.
“The U.S. expressed readiness to align its support with Kenya’s health strategies to enhance the country’s health systems,” the Ministry of Health stated in a separate statement.
The Ministry of Health further reaffirmed the focus of the discussions, stating: “The discussions focused on expanding cooperation in key areas such as health workforce development, digital health and information systems, non-communicable diseases, mental health, and the climate-health nexus—all central to Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda.”
Duale was accompanied by senior health officials, including Director General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth, Director of Family Health Dr Bashir Isaak, and Head of NASCOP Dr Andrew Mulwa.
Similar talks
This meeting comes days after Duale hosted WHO Africa Acting Regional Director Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu in Nairobi on April 29, 2025.
That meeting focused on public health emergency responses, including efforts to control outbreaks of Mpox, Cholera, Kala-azar, Polio, and Measles.
The two sides also reviewed progress on the operationalisation of the Kenya National Public Health Institute (NPHI), which is expected to play a central role in disease surveillance, preparedness, and emergency response.
Duale expressed his gratitude to the WHO for its ongoing support and called for enhanced cooperation in areas such as logistics and supplies, training of health workers, risk communication, and community-based surveillance—essential pillars for achieving Kenya’s UHC goals.
