Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Ms Mary M. Muriuki, has called for intensified action by national and county governments to improve hygiene, safe water access, sanitation and waste management, warning that preventable diseases continue to strain Kenya’s health system and threaten progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Speaking at the Epuka Uchafu, Afya Nyumbani stakeholder engagement in Nairobi, Muriuki said poor hygiene, unsafe water, weak sanitation systems and unmanaged waste are driving diarrhoeal diseases, cholera, typhoid, malaria, respiratory infections and childhood malnutrition.
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She noted that these preventable conditions place avoidable pressure on health facilities and public resources, emphasising that prevention remains the most cost-effective investment for the health sector.
According to the PS, billions of shillings are lost annually through healthcare costs, lost productivity, environmental degradation and premature deaths linked to poor sanitation and unsafe water.
Muriuki described Epuka Uchafu, Afya Nyumbani as a key national initiative anchored in Primary Health Care Networks and delivered through Community Health Promoters to promote safe water practices, proper waste handling, sanitation, hygiene and environmental cleanliness at the household level.
She called for stronger county coordination, expansion of protected water sources, improved waste segregation and collection systems, and functional WASH facilities in schools and public institutions. She also stressed the need for sustained behaviour change communication in local languages.
The PS urged stakeholders to align resources and actions to reduce preventable illnesses, protect household incomes, ease pressure on health services and accelerate Kenya’s journey toward Universal Health Coverage.
