Nairobi hosts health teams from 22 African nations

Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board Chief Executive Officer Daniel Yumbya gestures during an interview, last year. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  AGGREY OMBOKI

What you need to know:

  • President Uhuru Kenyatta’s pet project of Universal Health Coverage will also feature in the discussions.

  • Last year, AMCOA met in Accra Ghana in which several proposals were adopted, including the possibility of countries allowing medical students to undertake internships in other jurisdictions.

Kenya will on Wednesday host health experts for a three-day conference. During the meeting, medics will take stock of progress in tackling regulatory challenges to the sector. 

The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (KMPDB) will host the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA) at a Nairobi hotel. The event will be graced by Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki.

AMCOA President Kgosi Letlape and CS nominee for Education George Magoha, who is also the chairman of the medical board will address the meeting. Prof Magoha is the outgoing AMCOA president.

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The role of the Judiciary in dynamic medical regulation, building of an effective registration platform and corporate governance in health regulation are among topics lined up for discussion.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s pet project of Universal Health Coverage will also feature in the discussions, with medics likely to make a case for governments in the region to fully equip medical boards and councils to better regulate the sector.

COLLABORATION

Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board CEO Daniel Yumbya said top on the agenda is building of an effective framework for information exchange and training collaboration between countries.

“We look forward to fruitful deliberations. We are unanimous that setbacks in the health sector are complex and cross-cutting and require a combined effort to address. We thank AMCOA and the ministry for making this meeting possible,” Mr Yumbya said.

AMCOA is a grouping of medical regulatory authorities in African countries whose roles includes protection of public interest by promoting high standards of medical education, registration and regulation.

“We will be urging every health professional to take their rightful role in ensuring we achieve quality in health care provision. For countries to realize comprehensive health reforms, the importance of effective regulation cannot be gainsaid,” Mr Yumbya said.

PROGRESS

Themed ‘Core operations of a regulator,’ the Nairobi meeting will further take stock of progress in the implementation of various protocols on healthcare provision and regulation advanced by AMCOA and adopted by member countries.

Yumbya said: “We are confident of valuable outcomes from this regional meeting of medical boards and councils.”

Last year, AMCOA met in Accra, Ghana, in which several proposals were adopted, including the possibility of countries allowing medical students to undertake internships in other jurisdictions.

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