SHARP Project in Kenya

As we mark the close of Nurses Week under the theme of empowering nurses to strengthen healthcare systems, we celebrate the critical role nurses continue to play in advancing quality, accessible, and people-centered healthcare. At Access to Medicines Platform Kenya, we are proud of the strides made in empowering nurses in Isiolo County through the @projectSHARP by strengthening their capacity to deliver comprehensive Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) services. Through targeted trainings, mentorship, supportive supervision and equipping healthcare providers with practical tools and knowledge, nurses have been better positioned to provide adolescent-friendly, responsive, and rights-based care to young people in their communities. #NursesWeek

Still reflecting on the major advocacy moments and commitments made during the regional engagements that SHARP participated in across Africa and the key results that came from them. One moment that particularly stood out was at the NEAPACOH meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, where @MeTAKenya2018 C.E.O and @ProjectSHARP coordinator, Dorothy Juma addressed parliamentarians and policymakers from 18 African countries with one urgent message: Universal Health Coverage cannot exist where access to life-saving medicines remains uncertain. Drawing from evidence generated through SHARP’s studies across the Great Lakes Region on availability, affordability and stockouts of essential SRH commodities, she highlighted the realities facing women and girls across Africa, from prolonged stockouts of maternal health commodities to the high cost of essential SRH services and growing dependence on fragile external supply chains. She called for bold, continent-led action: ✔️ Local pharmaceutical production as a pillar of health sovereignty and resilience ✔️ Ring-fenced financing for SRH commodities ✔️ Stronger parliamentary oversight and accountability ✔️ Harmonized regulatory systems through the African Medicines Agency ✔️ Sustainable investments in resilient public health systems Key Outcome📤: The Lusaka Call to Action adopted nearly 80% of SHARP’s recommendations, with 14 African countries committing to stronger action on access to SRH commodities, health systems resilience, and local manufacturing. Kenya further committed to strengthening regulatory capacity, advancing the Health Products Authority Bill, and implementing the Primary Health Care Fund. @dorojuma1 #AdvocacyWins #HealthForAll #UHC

When @MeTAKenya2018 onboarded the SHARP project, it didn’t begin with answers but with listening. ☑️We listened to county health teams in Isiolo, Marsabit, and Mandera. ☑️We listened to adolescents and youth champions often excluded from policy spaces. ☑️We listened to faith leaders ready to champion protection and dignity in their communities. From these conversations, we chose a different path. 1⃣We co-created tools with county governments to ensure long-term ownership. 2⃣We strengthened CSOs through grants, mentorship, and institutional capacity building. 3⃣We equipped decision-makers with practical evidence for advocacy and budgeting. 4⃣We brought faith actors together to collectively speak out against harmful norms including FGM. 5⃣We centered adolescents not as participants, but as contributors and co-designers of solutions. Our SHARP approach was simple: listen first, build together, and strengthen local systems. We are proud of what this approach made possible.

Gender-Based Violence is not just a statistic - it is a growing crisis that demands urgent action. According to the report of the Technical Working Group on GBV, including femicide, Kakamega County recorded 380 cases of sexual violence between January and April 2025. This reflects not only the prevalence of violence, but also the vulnerabilities that persist within communities. These numbers represent only reported cases, with many more incidents remaining unseen and unaddressed. Ending GBV requires collective action from communities, institutions, and policymakers alike. The data is clear the time to act is now. #EndGBV #DataForAction

Key takeaways from the Africa Health Summit 2026 on strengthening health systems centered around 4 key priority areas: 1⃣Financing: Ringfencing budgets and tracking UHC targets is non-negotiable. 2⃣Workforce: Addressing shortages by integrating private sector solutions and sustainable investment while enhancing brain circulation rather than brain drain. 3⃣Regulation: Advancing AMA harmonization to ensure quality medicine standards (for countries to attain the WHO NLP3) 4⃣Preparedness: Pandemic readiness is impossible without a functioning, integrated Primary Health Care system. The rallying call at the end of the highly engaging conference was "Health for Africa, by Africa." It is time to move from dialogue to connected action. #AHAS2026 #UHC

Insights from our engagements with adolescents and young people through the SHARP Project highlighted a critical gap in mental health support. Adolescents called for deeper mental health education and access to youth-friendly counselling services within their communities. This #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, we urge policymakers and partners to prioritize: ✔️Integration of #mentalhealth into adolescent health programs ✔️Establishment of community-based, youth-friendly centres ✔️ Increased investment in counselling and psychosocial support #MentalHealthMatters #AdolescentHealth #YouthVoices

Gender-Based Violence and femicide remain urgent human rights concerns that demand decisive action and accountability. We are launching a new advocacy initiative in Kakamega and Vihiga Counties with support from Urgent Action Fund-Africa to accelerate county-level responses to GBV. The initiative will: ☑️Engage duty bearers to develop accountability commitments ☑️Amplify public awareness through radio dialogues in local languages ☑️Translate national GBV findings into county policy advocacy ☑️Strengthen collaboration among civil society actors to monitor progress In essence, this project aims to transform national GBV evidence into concrete action, accountability, and justice for survivors. #EndGBV #Accountability

April in action. We extend our sincere appreciation to all our partners for the collaboration, commitment, and shared vision throughout the month. Your support continues to drive meaningful progress in strengthening health systems and expanding access to essential medicines. Together, we are making impact where it matters most. #PartnershipsForImpact #UHC #GlobalHealth

Meet Celestine, a young champion from Marsabit who refused to accept the traditional beads that would have marked her readiness for early marriage. Instead, she chose education and is now standing up for other girls in her community. Today, she is an advocate against FGM and child marriage, proving that when girls are empowered, they become agents of change. @EUinKenya @HAImedicines #SHARPtestimonies #HealthyAdolescents #EndEarlyMarriages

"🦟 Malaria doesn't discriminate. It affects moms-to-be and newborns alike. On #WorldMalariaDay , let's raise awareness of this double threat to maternal and infant health. Together, we can break the cycle and ensure safer pregnancies and brighter beginnings!

Key takeaways from today’s media sensitization workshop: strengthening ethical, data-driven health reporting and confronting misinformation head-on. A timely reminder of the media’s critical role in shaping informed, responsible public discourse.

Day 2⃣ of the SHARP Project Reflection Meeting kicked off on a high note, with Youth Champions taking center stage to reflect on four years of impact under the SHARP project. Ms. Brenda - @Mybody_Ke representing the Youth Champions, highlighted the remarkable work led by young people across Mandera, Marsabit, and Isiolo counties. She shared how youth champions have moved beyond participation to meaningful leadership, actively shaping and driving interventions that address Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) issues in their communities. From being included in key decision-making spaces to collaborating with county officials from the health and gender departments, the youth have played a critical role in advancing community-centered solutions. Their efforts have included leading community engagements, facilitating health facility interface meetings, and organizing joint awareness campaigns that amplify youth voices and promote access to ASRH services. These experiences demonstrate the power of investing in young people as partners in development, showing that when youth are empowered, they become catalysts for change within their communities. 4⃣ years on, the message is clear: when young people lead, sustainable change follows. ✨ #HealthyAdolescents

“Mis-information thrives where information is weak.” — Ken Bosire Building on this, Ken Bosire’s session focused on the ethics and challenges of modern health reporting, emphasizing the critical role of data in strengthening journalism, the responsibility of media in tackling misinformation, and the need for sensitivity when covering complex health issues. He underscored that journalists are the first line of defense, and must remain accurate, ethical, and grounded in credible, diverse sources to shape informed public discourse. The conversation was further enriched by case studies and perspectives on health reporting in diverse contexts, with speakers sharing practical insights and lived experiences. They highlighted the importance of context-driven storytelling, inclusive narratives, and responsible reporting that reflects the realities of different communities while promoting understanding and accountability.

“Effective interviewing is a process aimed at uncovering facts, perspectives, and deeper insights.” — Ali Manzu The media sensitization workshop emphasized the power of intentional, well-researched storytelling in health reporting. Journalists were taken through advanced reporting techniques strengthening skills in research, sourcing credible voices, and crafting compelling, human-centered narratives that go beyond headlines. The session reinforced the need for accuracy, ethical responsibility, and depth in reporting, ensuring that health stories inform, influence, and drive meaningful change in communities.

Access to Medicines Platform has today convened journalists for a Media Sensitization Workshop on Health Reporting aimed at strengthening accurate, ethical and impactful coverage of health issues. The training is exploring key topics including adolescent sexual and reproductive health, responsible use of data, tackling misinformation, and ethical reporting on sensitive issues. Through this engagement, we continue to strengthen collaboration between health actors and the media to ensure informed public discourse and improved health outcomes. @ProjectSHARP #healthreporting #SRH

In a recent interview , key voices from the SHARP reflection meeting came together to outline the country’s vision for advancing adolescent health. Dr. Serem, Head of Division of RMNCAH, emphasized that, “as a country, we are focused on reducing teenage pregnancy, HIV, and overall improving the health of our youth,” highlighting a unified national commitment to better outcomes for young people. The discussion, featuring multiple speakers, underscored the way forward, strengthening collaboration, scaling impact, and driving sustained action to ensure healthier, empowered youth across Kenya. @EUinKenya @ProjectSHARP @KTNNewsKE @eannaso @MoH_DRMH @medrapzambia @RwandaNGOForum @Mybody_Ke .

“In the short period of the SHARP project implementation, our interventions focused on acceleration, rapid response, and sustainability.” — Dorothy Okemo, SHARP Project Coordinator One of the key sustainable outcomes has been the adoption of a support supervision tool for measuring Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) service provision. Following the use of the tool, facility teams developed a 3-month rapid implementation plan to address identified gaps and strengthen the provision of youth-friendly services. This demonstrates that impact is not only defined by the length of project implementation, but by how intentional and strategic the interventions are in achieving the outcomes we set out to deliver.👏👏 @EUinKenya @EUAmbKenya @eannaso @NANHRI40 @Mybody_Ke #SHARPProject #ASRH #AdolescentHealth