The government is planning a major shift in how health information is managed, with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announcing the establishment of a national centre that will analyse medical data and help track the performance of healthcare services across the country.
The proposed National Intelligence and
Analytics Centre will be housed under the Digital Health Agency (DHA) and will bring together information from different parts of the health sector to support planning, improve accountability and guide the distribution of resources.
Duale announced the plan on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, during the opening of the Inaugural three-day Africa Health Data Forum in Nairobi, where African governments, development partners and global health organisations gathered to explore ways of using reliable information to strengthen healthcare systems.
He said the country needed to address gaps caused by disconnected information platforms and repeated data collection, noting that health records should serve a practical purpose in improving medical services.
"Accurate, timely and integrated health information is essential in strengthening accountability, informing evidence-based decisions and accelerating Universal Health CoverageiỊạihe said.
The CS challenged health sector players to move towards a coordinated system where information gathered from hospitals and other facilities can be shared and used to guide government decisions.
"We must move away from fragmented health information systems and duplication. Data must be translated into better planning, resource allocation and improved healthcare delivery," he said.
The torum, whose theme is Better Data, Better Health for All, is focused on encouraging stronger partnerships, investment and innovation in digital across Africa.
Duale said Kenya's digital health programme had been supported by a legal framework that includes the Data Protection Act, 2019, the Digital Health Act, 2023, and the Digital Health Regulations, 2025.
He disclosed that over 33 million Kenyans had enrolled under the Social Health Authority (SHA) using the Afya Yangu platform, which is helping build a national database to support health coverage and the delivery of medical services.
The government has also put in place a national track-and-trace system to improve the monitoring of medical supplies, strengthen accountability in the distribution chain and guard against counterfeit medicines.
Another digital initiative, Platform 360, is being used to improve the management of healthcare workers and provide better oversight of professionals operating in the sector.
Duale called on African governments to prioritise the development of digital systems that can exchange information, warning that isolated platforms limit the benefits of technology inhealthcare.
He said countries needed to work together through knowledge-sharing and coordinated investments to build stronger health information networks.
Speaking at the same event, World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa Professor Yakub Janabi commended Kenya for its response to the Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease outbreak.
Janabi cited the country's surveillance and reporting systems, which enabled health authorities to trace 135 contacts associated with an imported index case.
He said the timely collection and sharing of information had helped Kenya contain the outbreak, adding that the country had gone three consecutive weeks without recording a new confirmed case.
The forum also provided a platform for the launch of Health Information Systems
Functionality Assessment Reports, developed jointly by participating countries and WHO.
The assessments examine how national health information systems are performing, identify weaknesses and outline areas that require improvement.
The reports are expected to guide governments and development partners on priority investments and reforms needed to strengthen the collection, management, and use of health data.
Those who attended the meeting included Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga, WHO Representative to Kenya Neema Kimambo, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa Etleva Kadilli and Digital Health Agency Chief Executive Officer Anthony Lenayara.