The Ministry of Health plans to adopt solar power for healthcare facilities across the country in an effort to combat climate change.
The ministry further plans to prioritise eco-friendly products and equipment and implement non-burn technology for clinical waste management in high-volume healthcare facilities nationwide.
This comes even as the PS Public Health Mary Muthoni revealed plans by the ministry to establish an air pollution center of excellence at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI).
The center will then be transformed into a World Health Organisation’s collaborative center for environmental health and air pollution research in the long run.
“This initiative solidifies Kenya's leadership in mitigating climate change,” Muthoni said.
“The ministry is currently developing a Kenya Climate Change and Health Strategy to guide both long and short-term actions in climate change and health,” she noted.
According to WHO, the health sector is a primary source of greenhouse gas emissions contributing annually to an equivalent of 514 coal-fired power plants.
The ministry's initiatives to combat greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to be valued at Sh2.5 billion.
Last week, the Aga Khan University Hospital commissioned a biomass boiler to power its heating system, abandoning diesel as the source of energy.
Biomass is organic, meaning it is made of material that comes from living organisms, such as plants and animals.
“Organisations must consider the environmental impact of their operations and address the sources of emissions,” CEO Rashid Khalani said.
The health sector is carbon-intensive due to energy-intensive operations and extensive supply chains and is responsible for 5.2 percent of global emissions globally.
