1st Public Health International Conference

Mount Kenya University participated in the recent concluded 1st Public Health International Conference that was held from 2^nd to 5^th April, 2023 in PrideInn Paradise, Mombasa Kenya.

The conference attracted a diverse group of delegates and institutions in public and private sectors in Kenya. Among the representatives who attended were Ministry of Health, Council of Governors, Public Health Officers and Institutions of Higher Learning amongst others.

The conference was launched by Mombasa County Governor H.E Abdullswammad Sherif Nassir on Tuesday, April 4th, 2023. Conference Theme was: Sustainable Public Health Approaches to Health and Environment in The 21st Century.

Mount Kenya University was represented by Public Health Officers and Lecturers led by Dean Dr. John Kariuki and Dr. Vivian MMbone Mwalenga Head of Department from school of public health and Chairperson Public Health Officers and Technician council among others.

Mount Kenya University Chairman and Founder Prof. Simon Gicharu was among the invited guest and speaker. He addressed Challenges and Opportunities in Public Health Training in the Private Sector.

Kenyan Government today is committed toward provision of access to the Universal Health Care for all Kenyans. In order to achieve this, there is a need for training of more public health professionals, Prof. Gicharu said.

He also noted that the COVID 19 experience has led to many lessons that need continuous implementation in prevention of diseases. He called upon the Public Health Professionals to continuously maintain highest levels of diseases surveillance at community levels and educate the public on preventative strategies.

Given the need to provide quality Public Health support to the communities, more training opportunities are required but the set standards must be met. He Said

He also noted that the Project for Interdisciplinary Research for Integrated Community-Directed Strategy for Sustainable Freedom from Malaria which is a collaboration between Mount Kenya University (MKU), Osaka Metropolitan University, with funding from the Japan International Cooperative Agency (JICA). The project aims to evaluate an integrated community-directed strategy for malaria elimination in western Kenya. The project is part of the growing MKU research and development portfolio supported by a number of international agencies including African Academy of Sciences, The Royal Society – UK, The European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, the National Institutes of Health-USA, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Science Foundation for Africa among others.

MKU use internally generated funds to put up laboratories for quality training and more laboratories are to be established at Nakuru and Mombasa Campuses. We are also working closely with the regulators to establish a scholarship for PhD training of Public Health Professionals using internally generated funds.

He concluded by saying “private universities have the potential to be a driving force in the training of quality Public Health Professionals and we must all strategically support the Government’s endeavors to achieve the Universal Health Care through quality training of Public Health Professionals.”