Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary Dr. Deborah Mlongo Barasa has called for the harmonisation of healthcare worker training and regulation across the East African Community (EAC) to improve healthcare systems and service delivery.
Speaking at the closing of the East African Workshop on Harmonization of Regulation for Healthcare Workers in Mombasa, Dr. Barasa emphasized the importance of standardized education and training for professionals like Clinical Officers, Nurses, Midwives, and Public Health Officers to ensure consistent competencies.
She highlighted that aligning training standards would promote workforce mobility, address skill gaps, and support Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Dr. Barasa also called for harmonized internship training and public health curricula to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical skills.
The workshop produced recommendations such as regulating unregulated healthcare cadres, strengthening capacity-building efforts, and mobilizing resources for systemic reforms. Dr. Barasa reiterated Kenya’s commitment to supporting this agenda and praised the contributions of stakeholders, including WHO and AMREF Health Africa.
This workshop is a significant step toward strengthening East Africa’s healthcare systems and achieving regional integration through a skilled and mobile workforce.
