Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr. Ouma Oluga has called for the urgent translation of health policies into practical actions that directly support county governments in delivering essential healthcare services.

Speaking on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, during a Global Financing Facility (GFF) breakfast meeting held on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, Dr. Oluga said the national government must ensure its policies are not only well-designed but also responsive to the on-ground realities in the counties.

Empowering county health

“There’s a growing gap between policy formulation and implementation at the county level,” he said.

“We must bridge this gap by ensuring that policies are swiftly translated into actionable plans that counties can adopt and implement.”

He acknowledged that Kenya has made significant strides in health sector reforms, including the digitization of medical records to improve data-driven decision-making. However, he noted that more needs to be done to align national efforts with county-level goals.

Dr. Oluga highlighted Kenya’s fruitful collaboration with the Global Financing Facility, particularly in improving workforce capacity, enhancing visibility of health commodities, and boosting the availability of blood to reduce maternal and child mortality. He urged the GFF to become more results-oriented and streamline its operations to better serve stakeholders on the ground.

“To accelerate delivery, we are proposing the adoption of a Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) framework that will fast-track key health interventions,” he said.

Health reforms

He further pointed out that the global health financing environment is undergoing fundamental shifts, and countries must respond with scalable innovations and dynamic strategies to stay ahead.

Dr. Oluga encouraged stronger stakeholder collaboration and emphasized the importance of ensuring that counties are not left behind in national-level conversations and programs.

𝐏𝐒 𝐎𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐭 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

On the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, PS for Medical Services Dr. Ouma Oluga joined the… pic.twitter.com/cmu49S9rK6

— Ministry of Health (@MOH_Kenya) May 20, 2025

“As we reflect on global health financing, we must also remember that implementation happens at the county level. The true test of any policy is in how it improves lives on the ground,” he concluded.

The meeting brought together key global health stakeholders and development partners to discuss how to enhance the impact of health investments, especially in low- and middle-income countries like Kenya.