Amref in Kenya
Kenya has the third-largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa, after Nigeria and South Africa. Its 47 million inhabitants are spread across more than 40 ethnic groups, speaking over 50 languages.
Climate change is also a factor affecting health needs, as well as health service delivery, throughout the country. In May 2024, heavy rainfall led to flooding, which particularly affected people in urban settlements.
Health facts
> Population
52.5 million
> Average life expectancy
67 years
> Number of people per doctor
6,250
> Maternal mortality rate
342 per 100,000 live births
> Infant mortality rate
21 per 1,000 live births
> Proportion of births accompanied by skilled health personnel
70.2%
> In 2022, 46% of the population
had access to safe drinking water on their property
Our commitment to health in Kenya
Kenya is the birthplace of Amref, where the first office was established in 1957 to provide outreach and mobile health services in remote areas. Today, Amref operates in all 47 regions of the country.
Our work in Kenya rests on three pillars:
1) Health workers: We train the country’s dedicated health workforce, advocate for improved working conditions and training opportunities to increase retention , and support community health workers who are a vital link with the formal health system.
2) Innovative services and solutions: We continuously improve the quality of our work and find innovative ways to ensure that people are informed about, and can access, affordable, high-quality health services.
3) Investing in health: We advocate for financial protection because health should not push anyone into poverty. We amplify the voices of the communities we support to encourage national and regional authorities to invest in health.
We work closely with the government, partners and communities to strengthen a decentralized health system that specifically reaches women, children and young people, focusing on addressing communicable and non-communicable diseases as well as reducing maternal mortality.
Nurse Faith Tayiana examines a baby in Kajiado County during a medical outreach clinic