Duale seeks stronger Health ties with Cuba to boost UHC, Vaccine Production

The Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to international health partnerships by holding a high-level bilateral meeting with the Cuban Ambassador to Kenya, Inés Fors Fernández, aimed at strengthening collaboration in advancing Universal Health Coverage.
The meeting, held at Afya House in Nairobi, centred on tapping into Cuba’s globally recognised community-based primary healthcare model to enhance Kenya’s own community health systems.
“We want to deepen our partnership by learning from Cuba’s proven success in community-based care and ensure that these lessons translate into practical benefits for our people—particularly in rural and underserved areas,” Duale said.
A significant highlight of the meeting was the proposal by CS Duale to formalise future health sector collaboration through a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU, once finalised, will establish a structured framework for bilateral cooperation covering areas such as service delivery, academic and technical exchange, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and health innovation.
“We are proposing the development of a comprehensive MoU that will guide our future engagements, ensure mutual benefit, and most importantly, deliver measurable outcomes in health access, innovation, and training,” Duale explained.
CS also outlined Kenya’s interest in strengthening cooperation in digital health and telemedicine—two fields critical to expanding access to healthcare in remote regions. Additionally, he called for Cuban support in advancing biotechnology as Kenya seeks to ramp up local vaccine production.hcare, support in biotechnology and local vaccine manufacturing will be key,” Duale emphasised.
“We believe Cuba’s experience and capacity can significantly complement our national strategy.”
The meeting also celebrated the existing cooperation between the two nations. Duale thanked the Cuban government for its ongoing contributions to Kenya’s healthcare sector, particularly the deployment of 84 Cuban doctors across the country. He also acknowledged the training of 48 Kenyan doctors in Cuba, with 12 currently undergoing specialised medical training in Havana.
“We appreciate the continued support of the Cuban government. The presence of Cuban doctors in our counties and the training of Kenyan medics in Cuba are helping bridge critical healthcare gaps, especially in hard-to-reach areas,” he said.
He further noted the positive outcomes of joint training programmes that have helped upskill local healthcare workers and enrich knowledge exchange between the two nations.
The Cuban Ambassador, Inés Fors Fernández, expressed her country’s readiness to continue supporting Kenya in achieving its health goals. She praised Kenya’s push towards UHC and reiterated Cuba’s commitment to international solidarity in health.
CS Duale was accompanied during the meeting by key health officials, including the Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, and Director General for Health, Patrick Amoth.
The bilateral talks come at a time when Kenya is accelerating the implementation of health agenda, which prioritises preventive and promotive care, digitisation of health services, and local pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Duale Said with the groundwork for expanded cooperation laid, both Kenya and Cuba are expected to move forward with formalising the new MoU in the coming months—marking a new chapter in their long-standing partnership.
“This is not just about diplomacy—it’s about delivering quality healthcare to every Kenyan,” Duale aaserted.