Description
Background: Kenya’s rising burden of diabetes and hypertension highlights the urgency of integrating NCD services into primary health care (PHC). The WDF21-1830 project (2024–2026), led by NCD Alliance Kenya (NCDAK), sought to embed NCD prevention and control within PHC, strengthen accountability, and advance implementation research.
Methods: Between October 2024 and August 2025, NCDAK convened structured consultations with County Health Leadership (Directors, CECMs, and CoHs through the Council of Governors (CoG), aimed at securing county-level ownership of NCD services and influencing prioritization of PHC-centered interventions. Through the MoH’s NCD Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee, a multi-sectoral forum aligned sectoral contributions to NCD care. Simultaneously, NCDAK advanced policy advocacy at the national level with both Houses of Parliament and the Treasury to mobilize resources for NCD integration. Kenya’s first Advocacy, Communication, and Social Mobilization (ACSM) framework was also validated to unify PHC-centered ACSM.
Results: A 13-point action agenda with the CoG secured commitments for sustainability, HTN & DM as well as SPICE digital integration across 35 counties. Quarterly forums reinforced policy alignment and linked county efforts to national initiatives such as WHO’s PEN-Plus and Changing Diabetes in Children. The CoG committed to mobilizing for training of the Directors, CECMs, and Chief Officers on planning and budgeting for NCD services, while Directors pledged to review PHC regulations, operationalize the PHC Act, and expand Community Health Promoters’ roles. County health leaders pledged ensuring essential medicines at PHC facilities, aligning financing with the NCD strategy, and allocating funds for prevention and control.
Conclusion: Sustainable integration of NCDs into PHC depends on county ownership, collaboration, and systemic reforms. The economic case is compelling: diabetes interventions yield a 5.2:1 return (averting 35,905 deaths), while hypertension interventions deliver 9.7:1 (preventing 439,890 cases). Advancing UHC requires investment in workforce training, supply chain resilience, and data-driven governance to mitigate Kenya’s NCD burden.
| Country | Kenya |
|---|---|
| Organization | Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) |
| Position | Program Officer |
| Received a Grant? | No |
