Kenya has made notable progress in health workforce production, including a doubling of nurses, doctors, and other health professionals over the past decade. However, findings from the Health Labour Market Analysis also identify persisting and emerging gaps in the availability of health workers. The analysis projects that to meet the population's health needs, more than 114,000 additional health professionals across 31 different roles will need to be trained, employed, and retained within the health system by 2031.  

To address this challenge, WHO Kenya has entered a new partnership with the Novo Nordisk Foundation through the Partnership for Education of Health Professionals flagship programme. The collaboration aims to strengthen the capacity, quality, and relevance of Kenya's health workforce in response to evolving population health needs and the country's Universal Health Coverage agenda.  

Over the past five years, WHO has supported the Ministry of Health in Kenya to strengthen health workforce planning through the systematic translation of evidence into policy decisions, strategic reforms, and targeted investments. Last year, WHO AFRO launched the first-ever prototype competency-based curricula for 10 key health cadres including critical care nursing, general surgery and community health workers. The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Nursing Council of Kenya, Dr Anne Mukuna, welcomed the partnership and underscored that it will strengthen regulatory oversight by ensuring the core curriculum is competency based, thereby equipping future nurses with the competencies required for safe and effective practice.