Advancing and integrating climate and health policies in Kenya

The study finds that while Kenya recognizes the link between climate change and public health, the two sectors operate independently in terms of policy formulation, planning, and budgeting. Barriers to integration include a siloed institutional approach, limited funding, and a perception of the health sector as a casualty rather than an adopter of climate policies. To overcome these, the authors suggest launching a Kenya Climate Change and Health Strategy, incorporating health issues into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and adopting holistic frameworks like the One Health model.

• Kenya's climate and health sectors currently operate independently regarding budgeting, planning, and policy formulation, despite existing links in areas such as food insecurity, air pollution, and vector-borne diseases.
• Integration is hindered by a 'siloed approach' at the national level, where the health sector is often viewed as a victim of climate change rather than an active participant in climate policy, and funding is disproportionately directed toward climate activities over health.
• Proposed strategies for policy advancement include the creation of a dedicated Kenya Climate Change and Health Strategy, the inclusion of health priorities in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the use of the Financing Locally Led Climate Action Program (FLoCCA).
• The study suggests that institutional integration could be improved by anchoring climate change in a central higher office rather than a specific Ministry, and by explicitly addressing cross-cutting issues in the Vision 2030 medium-term plans to ensure budget alignment.

APA

Mulwa, R., Nyukuri, E., Kigundu, K., & Musembi, E. (2025). Advancing and integrating climate and health policies in Kenya. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/advancing-and-integrating-climate-and-health-policies-in-kenya/

Chicago

Mulwa, Richard, Elvin Nyukuri, Kenneth Kigundu, and Elly Musembi. Advancing and integrating climate and health policies in Kenya. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2025. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/advancing-and-integrating-climate-and-health-policies-in-kenya/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mulwa |first1=Richard |last2=Nyukuri |first2=Elvin |last3=Kigundu |first3=Kenneth |last4=Musembi |first4=Elly |title=Advancing and integrating climate and health policies in Kenya |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=17 March 2025 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/advancing-and-integrating-climate-and-health-policies-in-kenya/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mulwa2025advancing, author = {Mulwa, Richard and Nyukuri, Elvin and Kigundu, Kenneth and Musembi, Elly}, title = {{Advancing and integrating climate and health policies in Kenya}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/advancing-and-integrating-climate-and-health-policies-in-kenya/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }