Kenya reaffirms commitment to cross-border health security

Speaking at the high-level meeting held on the sidelines of the 76th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni noted that Kenya views cross-border preparedness not as an optional diplomatic luxury but as a sacred public good and a fundamental sovereign duty.

“True health security is not measured by the walls we erect between us but by the strength of the shield we forge together. At the frontlines of this effort stand our border communities. They are never merely passive recipients of policy; they are our vigilant first observers, trusted messengers, and indispensable partners in defence,” PS Muthoni said.

The meeting saw African countries sign a Cross-Border Collaboration Memorandum of Understanding and launch the Mpox Vaccine Stockpile Mechanism, two key initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation and preparedness for health emergencies across the continent.

The two initiatives will strengthen information sharing, harmonise response protocols and support faster and more equitable access to essential medical countermeasures across Africa.

Led by WHO Regional Director for Africa Prof. Mohamed Janabi, the meeting brought together health leaders, regional institutions and development partners to advance coordinated, all-hazards preparedness and response across the continent.

PS Muthoni called on health leaders to institutionalise real-time data sharing through fully interoperable systems that alert every neighbour before crises spread.

Additionally, she noted that countries must build a unified health workforce capable of investigating, detecting, and responding jointly across borders with immediate surge capacity.

Muthoni further stressed that governments must guarantee equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines, and life-saving treatments based strictly on public health risk, never on purchasing power. “Wealth must never determine who lives and who dies during a crisis on African soil,” she said.

"The mechanisms before us today including the Mpox International Coordinating Group and our proposed Cross-Border Collaboration Memorandum of Understanding must not remain static declarations on parchment, PS Muthoni said “They must become operational living instruments with clear triggers, rapid information exchange, dedicated financing, and uncompromising accountability for results.”