The government will this morning host experts from 80 countries on digital health.

The four-day OpenMRS Implementers’ Conference is an annual event that brings together health informatics professionals, developers, implementers, and policymakers from around the world. OpenMRS is an open-source medical records system or Electronic Medical Records (EMR) with a global community.

According to the Ministry of Health’s Medical Services department, the conference aims to share best practices, demonstrate solutions, and address the challenges facing OpenMRS developers and implementers.

“Kenya, as one of the biggest implementers of OpenMRS through KenyaEMR, will host this year’s event, with attendance from over 80 countries,” a terse statement from the Ministry reads.

In October 2023, Kenya enacted the Digital Health Act among several other pieces of legislation to enhance UHC. The new law according to President William Ruto seeks to promote the safe, efficient and effective use of technology for healthcare.

It’s also believed that this law will enhance the privacy, confidentiality and security of health data. It also provides for the safe transfer of personal, identifiable health data and medical records to and from health facilities within and outside Kenya.

“These laws will transform healthcare in Kenya; they will save lives, empower communities and make us a stronger and healthier nation,” said Ruto when he signed them into law.

The Act will provide the necessary legal and institutional framework for the successful rollout of UHC and will facilitate the development of standards for the provision of m-Health, telemedicine, and e-learning. The other laws are the Primary Health Care Act, 2023, the Digital Health Act, of 2023, the Facility Improvement Financing Act, 2023 and the Social Health Insurance Act, of 2023.