Amref and Nairobi County Engagement Meeting to Strengthen Early Childhood Development Through Primary Health Care

Amref Health Africa in Kenya, in partnership with Nairobi City County, held a county engagement meeting to develop an implementation plan for the Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development (NCfECD) in Primary Health Care Project. 

The initiative marks an important step in strengthening how primary health care supports children in their earliest and most critical years of life. Early childhood, particularly 0-3 years, lays the foundation for lifelong health, learning, and well-being. While Kenya has made significant progress in improving child survival and nutrition outcomes, key aspects of nurturing care, including responsive caregiving, early learning, and developmental monitoring, are not yet consistently integrated into routine health services.  

Primary health care offers a unique opportunity to address this gap. As the first and most consistent point of contact for families, it provides a platform to deliver more holistic, family-centred care that supports children not only to survive, but to thrive. 

The project builds on findings from a national and county-level stock-take, which identified opportunities to better integrate early childhood development into existing health services. 

“Our focus is on integrating nurturing care into routine primary health care services—so that it becomes part of how care is delivered every day,” said Fidelina Ndunge, Project Manager for the Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development in Primary Health Care Project at Amref Health Africa in Kenya. 

The initiative will work through existing health system structures, including maternal and child health services and community health platforms, ensuring that interventions are practical, scalable, and sustainable. 

Over the next three years, the project will focus on strengthening the capacity of primary health care workers and community health promoters to deliver integrated nurturing care services for children aged 0–3 years and their caregivers. This will include targeted training and continuous mentorship; integration of early childhood development into routine maternal and child health services; improved use of data and digital systems to support decision-making; and support for county leadership to ensure that nurturing care is reflected in planning, budgeting, and coordination processes. These efforts are designed to strengthen the health system while improving the quality and continuity of care for children and families. 

Nairobi City County will play a central role in implementation, working closely with Amref, other sectors and implanting partners to ensure alignment with county priorities and sustainability beyond the project period. 

Dr. Carol Ngunu, Director, Preventive and Promotive Health Services, Nairobi County, emphasized the importance of building on existing systems, “We already have systems in place. What we need is to strengthen and align them so that nurturing care becomes part of routine service delivery.” 

Through collaboration with county leadership, sub-county teams, and technical working groups, the project will support coordinated implementation across different levels of the health system. 

The Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development in Primary Health Care Project is part of Amref’s broader commitment to strengthening primary health care systems and improving health outcomes for women, children, and communities. By embedding nurturing care into routine services, the initiative aims to ensure that children are supported not only to survive, but to grow, learn, and reach their full developmental potential.