Kenya hosts health regulators amid clamour for reforms

Health experts from 22 countries are meeting in Nairobi for three days starting today to explore means and ways of improving regulation of the sector. 

The regional forum hosted by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (KMPDB) under the aegis of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA) will be officially opened by Health CS Sicily Kariuki. 

The CS is expected to share milestones in the health sector, including President Uhuru Kenyatta's pet project of Universal Health Coverage.  

Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board CEO Daniel Yumbya told journalists that top on the agenda of the meeting 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," Yumbya said.   AMCOA president Kgosi Letlape and Education CS George Magoha, who is also the chairman of KMPDB, will address the capacity building meeting. Prof Magoha is the outgoing AMCOA president.

The experts will discuss the role of the Judiciary in dynamic medical regulation, building of an effective registration platform and corporate governance in health regulation.   "We will be urging every health professional to take their rightful role in ensuring we achieve quality in healthcare provision and sustain it. For countries to realise comprehensive reforms in the sector, the importance of effective regulation cannot be gainsaid," Yumbya said.   He added: "We are confident of valuable outcomes from this regional meeting of medical boards and councils."   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. 

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.   The association's mandate includes ensuring the provision of quality healthcare by setting standards for education and training, ethics guidelines and continuous professional development.   The AMCOA conference comes at a time when health regulators in Africa believe challenges in the sector are complex and cross cutting and require joint efforts to address.