Kericho: Kericho county governor Dr. Erick Mutai has called for a cross-sectoral approach to healthcare delivery, emphasizing the need for deeper collaboration among clinicians, veterinarians, environmental experts, and ecologists to tackle current and emerging health challenges effectively. Speaking while officially closing a two-day Southern Regional Clinical Officers' Symposium in Kericho, Dr. Mutai emphasized that Kenya's Universal Health Coverage (UHC) ambitions cannot be achieved in isolation.
According to Kenya News Agency, the governor highlighted the need to adopt the One Health model, which he said, was a holistic framework that acknowledges the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health as a practical and sustainable approach to addressing public health risks. "We must operationalize the One Health approach as a working framework, not just a theoretical model. Clinical officers have an enormous role to play, particularly in early diagnosis and rational treatment at the primary care level," said Dr. Mutai.
He noted that over 70 percent of emerging human diseases originate from animals, reinforcing the urgency for integrated surveillance and response systems across multiple sectors. According to the governor, the success of UHC depends on breaking traditional silos and building robust networks that link healthcare providers with professionals in agriculture, animal health, and environmental conservation.
"The misuse of antibiotics across sectors is driving resistance. Clinical officers must champion their rational use in human health, while similar discipline is needed in animal health and agriculture," said Dr. Mutai, warning that antimicrobial resistance could undo decades of global health gains if left unchecked.
The governor also spoke of the practical role clinical officers play in frontline health systems, especially in rural and underserved areas. He described the clinicians as vital connectors between communities and healthcare infrastructure, with responsibilities that range from diagnosis and treatment to education and disease surveillance. "You are the bridge between communities and healthcare systems. Your work in diagnosis, treatment, and patient education is not just essential, it is life-saving," said Dr. Mutai.
He highlighted Kericho County's commitment to strengthening its health workforce through employment regularization, promotions, and continuous professional development. Consequently, over 500 health workers, many of them clinical officers, have been absorbed into permanent and pensionable terms. "When told the wage bill would rise, I said people who are trained and skilled must be paid accordingly. We must bridge disparities in employment terms, especially when staff are performing the same roles under different contracts," said Dr. Mutai.
In a bid to enhance working conditions and staff morale, the county has recruited 106 additional healthcare workers, invested in digital health infrastructure, and committed resources to psychosocial support and staff housing in hard-to-reach areas. He added that the county is modernizing its healthcare systems to improve efficiency and accountability. Clinicians in Kericho can now submit diagnostic requests and access lab and imaging results electronically, streamlining patient care and safeguarding data integrity.
But even with these gains, Dr. Mutai acknowledged the emotional and physical strain borne by healthcare workers and pledged continued investments to protect their well-being. "No healthcare worker should spend 48 hours straight in a facility. They have families too. Exhaustion leads to errors, and we cannot afford that in health," he said.
The Governor's remarks set a progressive tone for the symposium, which brought together delegates from Kericho, Bomet, Narok, and Kajiado counties under the theme One Health, One Region: Strengthening Clinical Officers' Role in Achieving Universal Health Coverage. The forum highlighted the need for a multi-disciplinary strategy and placed clinical officers at the core of Kenya's journey toward a more responsive and sustainable health system.