Towards a net-zero healthcare system in Kenya: Stakeholder perspectives on opportunities, challenges and priorities
Introduction: Kenya's healthcare system committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as part of the UNFCCC COP26 Health Program. To turn these ambitious commitments into outcomes and share learnings with other nations, a comprehensive assessment of the perspectives of key st...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | The Journal of Climate Change and Health |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667278225000070 |
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| author | Iris Martine Blom Melvine Anyango Otieno Susannah Mayhew Neil Spicer Andy Haines Sarah Whitmee |
| author_facet | Iris Martine Blom Melvine Anyango Otieno Susannah Mayhew Neil Spicer Andy Haines Sarah Whitmee |
| author_sort | Iris Martine Blom |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Kenya's healthcare system committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as part of the UNFCCC COP26 Health Program. To turn these ambitious commitments into outcomes and share learnings with other nations, a comprehensive assessment of the perspectives of key stakeholders likely to be involved in implementing the transition of the healthcare system is needed. Methods: This study employs qualitative methods, including 21 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and a Delphi consensus process, to explore stakeholder perspectives on Kenya's journey to a net-zero healthcare system. Results: Stakeholders identified and validated 14 process components crucial for this transformation, ranging from leadership and financing to behavioral change and monitoring. Critical barriers, such as infrastructure limitations, competing health priorities, financial constraints, and gaps in strategy coordination, were highlighted. Stakeholders ranked three interventions as the highest priority: implementing clean energy solutions in healthcare facilities, developing national sustainable healthcare policies that are informed by existing evidence on climate benefits, and generating localized data to guide actionable policies. Ranking interventions based on feasibility, however, produced different results that favored simpler, more immediately actionable measures like hospital vegetable gardens and the creation of guidelines for health facilities. Conclusion: While the transition to net-zero poses challenges, stakeholders expressed optimism about the potential of current strong leadership, strategic partnerships, and the growing momentum for action on climate change and health. This research provides actionable insights and recommendations to guide Kenya's transition to a sustainable, resilient healthcare system, while offering valuable lessons for other countries facing similar challenges. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3bd6bfb634814becb689b364eba9ea92 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2667-2782 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Journal of Climate Change and Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-3bd6bfb634814becb689b364eba9ea922025-02-07T04:48:31ZengElsevierThe Journal of Climate Change and Health2667-27822025-03-0122100417Towards a net-zero healthcare system in Kenya: Stakeholder perspectives on opportunities, challenges and prioritiesIris Martine Blom0Melvine Anyango Otieno1Susannah Mayhew2Neil Spicer3Andy Haines4Sarah Whitmee5Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom; Corresponding author at: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT, Bloomsbury, London, United Kingdom.School of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Eldoret, Eldoret, Kenya; Planetary Health Eastern Africa Hub, Eldoret, Kenya; Global Health Working Group, Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), GermanyDepartment of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, United KingdomDepartment of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, United KingdomCentre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United KingdomCentre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United KingdomIntroduction: Kenya's healthcare system committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as part of the UNFCCC COP26 Health Program. To turn these ambitious commitments into outcomes and share learnings with other nations, a comprehensive assessment of the perspectives of key stakeholders likely to be involved in implementing the transition of the healthcare system is needed. Methods: This study employs qualitative methods, including 21 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and a Delphi consensus process, to explore stakeholder perspectives on Kenya's journey to a net-zero healthcare system. Results: Stakeholders identified and validated 14 process components crucial for this transformation, ranging from leadership and financing to behavioral change and monitoring. Critical barriers, such as infrastructure limitations, competing health priorities, financial constraints, and gaps in strategy coordination, were highlighted. Stakeholders ranked three interventions as the highest priority: implementing clean energy solutions in healthcare facilities, developing national sustainable healthcare policies that are informed by existing evidence on climate benefits, and generating localized data to guide actionable policies. Ranking interventions based on feasibility, however, produced different results that favored simpler, more immediately actionable measures like hospital vegetable gardens and the creation of guidelines for health facilities. Conclusion: While the transition to net-zero poses challenges, stakeholders expressed optimism about the potential of current strong leadership, strategic partnerships, and the growing momentum for action on climate change and health. This research provides actionable insights and recommendations to guide Kenya's transition to a sustainable, resilient healthcare system, while offering valuable lessons for other countries facing similar challenges.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667278225000070Net-zero healthcareClimate changeHealthcare sustainabilityGreenhouse gasHealth systemKenya |
| spellingShingle | Iris Martine Blom Melvine Anyango Otieno Susannah Mayhew Neil Spicer Andy Haines Sarah Whitmee Towards a net-zero healthcare system in Kenya: Stakeholder perspectives on opportunities, challenges and priorities The Journal of Climate Change and Health Net-zero healthcare Climate change Healthcare sustainability Greenhouse gas Health system Kenya |
| title | Towards a net-zero healthcare system in Kenya: Stakeholder perspectives on opportunities, challenges and priorities |
| title_full | Towards a net-zero healthcare system in Kenya: Stakeholder perspectives on opportunities, challenges and priorities |
| title_fullStr | Towards a net-zero healthcare system in Kenya: Stakeholder perspectives on opportunities, challenges and priorities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Towards a net-zero healthcare system in Kenya: Stakeholder perspectives on opportunities, challenges and priorities |
| title_short | Towards a net-zero healthcare system in Kenya: Stakeholder perspectives on opportunities, challenges and priorities |
| title_sort | towards a net zero healthcare system in kenya stakeholder perspectives on opportunities challenges and priorities |
| topic | Net-zero healthcare Climate change Healthcare sustainability Greenhouse gas Health system Kenya |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667278225000070 |
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