The paediatrician workforce and its role in addressing neonatal, child and adolescent healthcare in Kenya

Objective To examine the availability of paediatricians in Kenya and plans for their development. Design Review of policies and data from multiple sources combined with local expert insight. Setting Kenya with a focus on the public, non-tertiary care sector as an example of a low-income and middle-income country aiming to improve the survival and long-term health of newborns, children and adolescents. Results There are 305 practising paediatricians, 1.33 per 100 000 individuals of the population aged Discussion The scale of the paediatric workforce challenge seriously undermines the ability of the Kenyan health system to deliver on the emerging survive, thrive and transform agenda that encompasses more complex health needs. Addressing this challenge may require innovative workforce solutions such as task-sharing, these may in turn require the role of paediatricians to be redefined. Professional paediatric communities in countries like Kenya could play a leadership role in developing such solutions.