Department of Preventive and Promotive Health.

Operational definition

This function includes disease prevention and health promotion.

Disease prevention

Disease prevention, understood as specific, population-based and individual-based interventions for primary and secondary (early detection) prevention, aiming to minimize the burden of diseases and associated risk factors.

Primary prevention services and activities include: 

• Vaccination and post-exposure prophylaxis of children, adults and the elderly;
• Provision of information on behavioural and medical health risks, and measures to reduce risks at the individual and population levels;
• Inclusion of disease prevention programmes at primary and specialized health care levels, such as access to preventive services (ex. counselling); and
• Nutritional and food supplementation; and
• Dental hygiene education and oral health services.

Health promotion

Health promotion is the process of empowering people to increase control over their health and its determinants through health literacy efforts and multisectoral action to increase healthy behaviors. This process includes activities for the community-at-large or for populations at increased risk of negative health outcomes. Health promotion usually addresses behavioral risk factors such as tobacco use, obesity, diet and physical inactivity, as well as the areas of mental health, injury prevention, drug abuse control, alcohol control, health behavior related to HIV, and sexual health.

Disease prevention and health promotion share many goals, and there is considerable overlap between functions. On a conceptual level, it is useful to characterize disease prevention services as those primarily concentrated within the health care sector, and health promotion services as those that depend on intersectoral actions and/or are concerned with the social determinants of health.

Scope of the function

Disease prevention

Primary prevention services and activities include: 

• Vaccination and post-exposure prophylaxis of children, adults and the elderly;
• Provision of information on behavioural and medical health risks, and measures to reduce risks at the individual and population levels;
• Inclusion of disease prevention programmes at primary and specialized health care levels, such as access to preventive services (ex. counselling); and
• Nutritional and food supplementation; and
• Dental hygiene education and oral health services.

Health promotion

• Policies and interventions to address tobacco, alcohol, physical activity and diet (e.g.,  FCTC , DPAS , alcohol strategy and NCD best-buys)
• Dietary and nutritional intervention should also appropriately tackle malnutrition, defined as a condition that arises from eating a diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess (too high in intake), or in the wrong proportions
• Intersectoral policies and health services interventions to address mental health and substance abuse
• Strategies to promote sexual and reproductive health, including through health education and increased access to sexual and reproductive health, and family planning services
• Strategies to tackle domestic violence, including public awareness campaigns; treatment and protection of victims; and linkage with law enforcement and social services.

Department of Curative and Rehabilitation Health Services

Curative Service Division

Curative Service Division (CSD) is one of five divisions under Department of Health Services (DoHS). After the restructuring and institutional reform of Ministry of Health and Population supporting institutionalizing federal system with in ministry, It has developed Terms of Reference (ToR) of different Institution to facilitate the process. In this context since the beginning of fiscal year 2074/75 Curative Service Division was established within Department of Health Services.

Purpose

The overall purpose of this Division is to look after Curative Health Services activities through its three different sections, namely Hospital Services Monitoring and Strengthening Section, Basic Health and Emergency Management Section and Eye, ENT and oral Health Section. The major responsibility of CSD is to provide the basic health service free of cost guaranteed. CSD regulate and coordinate to establish, operate and upgrade of specialized tertiary hospitals. CSD also coordinate and provide eye, ENT and oral health services.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is defined as “a set of interventions designed to optimize functioning and reduce disability in individuals with health conditions in interaction with their environment”.

Key facts

• Rehabilitation is an essential part of universal health coverage along with promotion of good health, prevention of disease, treatment and palliative care.
• Rehabilitation helps a child, adult or older person to be as independent as possible in everyday activities and enables participation in education, work, recreation and meaningful life roles such as taking care of family.
• Globally, an estimated 2.4 billion people are currently living with a health condition that benefits from rehabilitation.
• The need for rehabilitation worldwide is predicted to increase due to changes in the health and characteristics of the population. For example, people are living longer, but with more chronic disease and disability.
• Currently, the need for rehabilitation is largely unmet. In some low- and middle-income countries, more than 50% of people do not receive the rehabilitation services they require. Rehabilitation services are also amongst the health services most severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Department of Standards and Quality Assurence and Regulations

Health Regulations and Quality Standards Committee (HR&QS) engagement with Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS)

In order to ensure delivery of quality and affordable Healthcare, a Healthcare Organization should be assessed and qualify for certification and accreditation. There has been a misunderstanding between accreditation and certification of an organization. Most Kenyans are not very sure on where to go for specific healthcare services, because once a Health Centre bares an accreditation or certification label only, does it indicate that it’s fully qualified to offer specific services? HR&QS Committee aims to clarify this while ensuring that Health services offered are of good quality as recommended.

Vision

An enabling environment that supports quality affordable healthcare for all.

Core Values

• Compassionate
• Inclusive
• Consensus – building
• Low – ego Leadership
• Innovative

Mission

To champion constructive Public-Private Partnerships for better healthcare by networking, engaging, representing and through win – win situations.

Organizational Goals

• Initiate activities and programs that guarantee the sustainability and vitality of the Kenya Healthcare Federation.
• Promote the role of the private sector as a key player in delivery of quality healthcare services in Kenya.
• Engage with various government of Kenya agencies and other policy makers in the development of policies that promote delivery of quality healthcare services in Kenya.
• Build the capacity of members and lobby for action in key thematic areas of health service delivery.

Facilitate, coordinate and undertake the publication and dissemination of the annual Kenya Health Index.

Department of Planning and Health Financing.

The department is responsible for overall planning of the ministry projects and financing of the projects. For more information on the department follow the link below.

http://www.healthpolicyplus.com/ns/pubs/1132311587_KenyaHealthFinancingSystemAssessment.pdf

Department of Health Sector Coordination and Inter Government

Overview

In 2013, Kenya fully and rapidly devolved health services to 47 county governments under its new constitution. It soon became evident that the coordination mechanism to manage the health workforce at a county level was inadequate. This case study describes how Kenya created an inter-county, multi-stakeholder human resources for health (HRH) coordination framework that promotes consensus, commitment, and cooperation in devolved HR management.

Case presentation

Through USAID funding, IntraHealth International built the health workforce management capacity of county governments by strengthening coordination mechanisms at the national and county levels. Informed by stakeholder mapping, Kenya’s 47 counties were grouped into nine clusters with similar geographic contexts and HRH challenges. Inter-county cluster HRH stakeholder coordination forums are hosted by a rotating county-led secretariat and meet quarterly to address gaps, share successes and challenges, and track implementation of action plans. They link to the national level for capacity building, policy formulation, HRH regulation, and provision of standards. Counties have assumed ownership of the forums and contributed about US$85000 to date toward expenses.

Department of Administrative Services

The functions of the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Kenya include Health Policy, Sanitation Policy, Preventive and Promotive Health Services, HIV/AIDS Programme and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) Treatment and Management, Health Education, Family Planning, Food and Food Handling, Health Inspection and other Public Health Services, Quarantine Administration, Overall Sanitary Services, Insanitary Nuisances, Curative Services, Clinics, Dispensaries, Health Centres and Hospitals, Registration of Doctors and Para Medicals, Maternity Services, Nurses and Midwives, National Hospital Insurance Fund, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kenya Medical Training College, Government Chemist, Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA), The Radiation Protection Board, Regulatory Bodies for Pharmacy and Medicine.