Strengthening Health Workforce Data Management Across Counties
Strengthening Health Workforce Data Management Across Counties
Kenya has taken a major step toward strengthening its health workforce systems through the National Health Workforce Accounts (NHWA), a globally recognized framework that supports countries to systematically collect, analyze, and use health workforce data for planning and decision-making.
Led by the Ministry of Health through the Kenya Health Human Resource Advisory Council, with support from the World Health Organization, a series of workshops brought together county teams in four clusters namely (Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, and Kisumu) to strengthen data quality and use.
Transforming Data into Action
Participants built practical skills to collect, clean, and analyze health workforce data using the NHWA framework. This process culminated in the development of County specific Health Workforce Profiles—clear, visual snapshots that support planning, recruitment, and policy decisions. The approach also strengthened collaboration between Human Resource and Health Information teams, improving the accuracy and consistency of reporting. The participation of County Directors, Health from each county created ownership of the respective counties health workforce data.
Strong Progress Across Counties
All participating counties successfully developed and validated their workforce profiles. Notably, counties in the Mombasa, Nakuru, and Kisumu clusters achieved full data completeness, demonstrating the value of structured capacity building and peer learning.
What’s Next
Key priorities emerging from the engagement include strengthening HRH data management, accelerating the rollout of the Integrated Human Resource Information System (iHRIS), institutionalizing regular workforce reviews and enhancing the use of data in decision-making.
Looking Ahead
By strengthening how health workforce data is generated and used, Kenya is laying the foundation for more responsive planning, equitable resource allocation and improved service delivery, advancing progress toward Universal Health Coverage.