One of the critical pillars of health systems is good leadership that enables good governance, management, service delivery and overall improvement of population health.

Studies have shown that training in leadership, management and governance accelerates the implementation of prioritized healthcare interventions by significantly enhancing the skills and knowledge of healthcare workers. Consequently, this helps achieve Sustainable Development Goals as a global target.

Evidence has shown that despite heavy investment in health care spending globally, millions still die each year from preventable causes. Whilst this can be attributed to many factors, most people responsible for leading, managing and governing health care have little or no required skills to help them succeed in their roles.

In recent times, leadership and governance have become essential determinants of strengthening national and local health systems and have been recognized to be at the core of achieving health-related goals.

Kilifi County is among the few counties in Kenya that have established a Facility Improvement Fund, which allows health facilities to utilize resources at the source. Established in 2016, the Fund has enabled the County to supplement the funds received from the national government to construct new health facilities, hire additional personnel, equip health facilities, and conduct exchange programs, among many other activities (DanielleOfri).

USAID Stawisha Pwani Project supported the County in formulating guidelines to guide the implementation of the Fund and ring fence the resources. Despite such milestones, however, the health care workforce, notably at the sub-county level and beyond, lacked skills in leadership, governance, and management (LGM).

Dr Mulewa. Kilifi County Director of Health Services speaks about the importance and impact of the LGM training during a stakeholder meeting at Kilifi County.

Noting this shortfall, in mid of June 2022, the County reached out to USAID Stawisha Pwani to support an intensive LGM training that brought together health managers across the seven sub-counties within Kilifi County to train them as Trainer of Trainers (ToTs). The group will thereafter act as resource persons in the County to conduct cascaded training for the Level 2 and 3 health workforces.

“We had an active workforce that lacked leadership, governance, and management skills. USAID Stawisha Pwani helped us deliver this. We now have confidence our sub-county leads have the requisite skills to lead, govern and manage the facilities under them, which will in turn improve the quality of health services we offer to the people of Kilifi”, said Dr. Mulewa, Director of Health Services during a stakeholder forum recently held in the County. He quipped that the CHMT can see the positive results that can be attributed to the LGM training, from recent support visits conducted in select facilities.