Last week, the newly appointed Digital Health Agency (DHA) Chairperson Silas Simatwo honored the PATH Kenya offices with a visit. Simatwo met PATH Kenya Country Director and East Africa Hub Director Carolyne Njuguna, PATH Advocacy and Public Policy Co-lead Rachel Ndirangu, and Digital Square Chief of Party Margaret Ndisha Mwakala.
Simatwo was appointed as the Chairperson of the newly established DHA by President William Ruto, PhD, earlier this month. Created by the Digital Health Act of 2023, the agency is mandated to develop, operationalize, and maintain the comprehensive integrated health information system, as stipulated in the Health Act of 2017.
During the meeting, Simatwo acknowledged PATH Kenya’s contribution, not only as a digital health partner but also as a longstanding partner in broader health areas, such as primary health care, HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.
“It was an honor for me to have my inaugural visit be to an important partner of the outfit I am going to steer. I am now able to appreciate PATH Kenya’s role as an important cog in the wheels of health provision in Kenya and globally.”— Silas Simatwo, Kenya Digital Health Agency Chairperson
“It was an honor for me to have my inaugural visit be to an important partner of the outfit I am going to steer. Thanks to the detailed orientation, I am now able to appreciate PATH Kenya’s role as an important cog in the wheels of health provision in Kenya and globally,” said Simatwo.
Simatwo expressed hope for fruitful engagements while his agency, PATH Kenya, and other key partners work together to drive the wheels of health care digitization in Kenya.
In her remarks, Njuguna said it was inspiring and refreshing to learn more about Simatwo’s vision for the DHA, including his plans for transformation by leveraging technology to strengthen primary health care and the realization of universal health coverage.
“It’s very exciting for us to be partnering with the agency right from the onset as it’s being established and to work together to realize Kenya’s digital health aspirations.”— Carolyne Njuguna, East Africa Hub and the PATH Kenya Country Director
“It’s very exciting for us to be partnering with the agency right from the onset as it’s being established and to work together to realize Kenya’s digital health aspirations. As an organization, we are fully behind that vision and look forward to enhanced partnership with the DHA,” said Njuguna.
Through the Ministry of Health, PATH Kenya has been a longstanding and trusted partner to the Kenya government, supporting activities like capacity-building on the adopted standards, fast health interoperability resources (FHIR®), and the development of FHIR-native digital health solutions that support different program areas. FHIR (pronounced “fire”) is a set of rules and specifications published by HL7® International for exchanging electronic health care data. Actualization of the integrated health information system will only be possible through the adoption of standards-based systems, which is one of the mandates of the DHA—to certify digital health solutions based on best practices and standards.
PATH Kenya endeavors to align its vision with the community and the Ministry of Health’s priorities, and it looks forward to a fulfilling and productive partnership with the DHA.
