By Milliam Murigi
The Kenyan Ministry of Health has developed green healthcare guidelines aimed at reducing carbon emissions in the health sector.
The guidelines were discussed during a high-level policy dialogue in Nairobi. The event brought together senior government officials, regulators, development partners and private sector players to deliberate on how to green Kenya’s healthcare system.
“Once adopted, the new framework seeks to provide structured guidance on reducing the sector’s carbon footprint, improving operational efficiency and strengthening climate resilience,” said Naomi Mutie, head of Environmental Health and Sanitation Services in the State Department of Public Health and Professional Standards, Ministry of Health.
The guidelines are currently undergoing stakeholder consultations, with the Ministry expected to officially unveil them later this month. Once launched, the guidelines will provide a roadmap for healthcare facilities across Kenya to reduce carbon emissions, strengthen climate resilience and promote environmentally sustainable health services.
Key measures proposed include improved healthcare waste management, proper waste segregation, safe water and sanitation systems and the adoption of clean energy in hospitals to reduce indoor and ambient air pollution.
The guidelines also aim to improve infection prevention and control in health facilities while enhancing environmental compliance and monitoring across the health sector.
“Prevention remains the most cost-effective intervention in the healthcare system,” Mutie said, emphasizing that green healthcare is not only about reducing emissions but also about strengthening public health systems.
The guidelines are anchored in Kenya’s Climate Change and Health Strategy 2024–2029, a framework aimed at building a climate-resilient and low-carbon health sector through sustainable infrastructure, improved waste management and climate-smart operations.
In a speech read on her behalf by Stephen Muleshe, Director of Public Health and Sanitation, the Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni said the initiative is part of the country’s broader climate commitments and efforts to protect public health from the growing impacts of climate change.
Kenya has committed under its second Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35 per cent by 2035 while strengthening national resilience to climate impacts.
“Climate change is already impacting the health of our people. We are witnessing increased incidences of climate-sensitive diseases, heat stress, flooding-related health risks and disruptions to essential health services,” Muthoni said.
According to her, the health sector itself contributes to emissions through high energy consumption, waste generation and complex medical supply chains. Health facilities also rely on infrastructure that must remain operational during climate-related disasters such as floods and extreme heat.
The initiative comes as Kenya experiences increasing climate-related health risks, including disease outbreaks linked to flooding, drought and changing weather patterns. According to Muthoni, greening healthcare facilities is not just an environmental priority but a public health necessity.
“If adopted and effectively implemented, the Green Healthcare Guidelines are expected to position Kenya as a regional leader in climate-smart healthcare while ensuring that health facilities remain resilient in the face of growing climate-related risks,” Mutie noted.
The draft guidelines are the result of an extensive consultative and evidence-based process that began in 2024. A baseline situation analysis conducted between December 2024 and August 2025 assessed carbon emission hotspots in 100 health facilities across 10 counties. The findings informed key recommendations on decarbonization actions to be integrated into the guidelines.
The policy dialogue sought to secure high-level endorsement and institutional commitments to drive implementation. Discussions focused on policy coordination, strengthening capacity and evidence for greening healthcare, and transforming the healthcare supply chain to align with sustainability goals.
The initiative is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Health in partnership with the Netherlands through the Global Health Partnership Project, with support from Amref Health Africa and NIKO Green.
