The groundbreaking collaboration aims to elevate health reporting standards and develop Africa’s next generation of health journalists.
Strathmore University has entered a strategic partnership with Willow Health Media Initiative, marking a significant milestone in the professionalisation of health journalism in Kenya and across Africa.
The three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on November 13, 2025, establishes a comprehensive framework for collaboration on four key areas, including health journalism curriculum development, webinars on health journalism, high-level conferences and joint funding initiatives.
The partnership will host webinars focusing on topical health issues from a journalistic lens, aimed at providing journalists with specialised knowledge and continuing education opportunities.
Both institutions will also organize conferences for cross-sector dialogue and networking between health professionals, media practitioners and policymakers.
A core objective is the development of a health journalism curriculum and training program, addressing a significant gap in specialised journalism education in Kenya. Both parties will also jointly pursue grants and funding opportunities to strengthen health journalism initiatives and ensure the sustainability of their programs.
Willow Health Media is a not-for-profit, niche health media and knowledge platform
Strathmore University is a private institution established by Charter, with a mission to provide quality education in an atmosphere of freedom and responsibility, with emphasis on excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, ethical and social development, and service to society in Kenya.
Willow Health Media is a not-for-profit, niche health media and knowledge platform that advances health journalism and communication across Africa. The organisation collaborates with journalists, health professionals, and development agencies to enhance evidence-based reporting, foster public awareness, and stimulate meaningful conversations on health.
The partnership addresses a critical need in Kenya’s media landscape. Health journalism requires specialised skills to navigate the complex intersection of medicine, public health, policy, and communication. Accurate, evidence-based health reporting plays a vital role in shaping public health outcomes, from managing disease outbreaks to holding healthcare systems accountable.
Recent health stories from Kenya underscore the importance of skilled health journalism. Issues such as post-abortion care guidelines affecting maternal mortality, corruption in county healthcare systems impacting service delivery, and vaccine coverage require journalists who can translate complex medical information into accessible, accurate content.
The MoU establishes strict confidentiality to protect confidential information
The partnership will be governed by a coordination committee established by both parties to execute the MoU and any subsequent agreements. Each party will be fully financially responsible for its respective portion of goods, services, and activities arising from collaborative initiatives.
The MoU establishes strict confidentiality obligations, requiring both parties, their agents, employees, staff, and affiliates to protect confidential information relating to each other’s operations. The agreement specifically addresses compliance with Kenya’s Data Protection Act of 2019 for any data collected during the collaboration.
Each party has undertaken to use data exchanged solely for purposes within the scope of the partnership and to protect such data from disclosure to third parties except as required by law.
The partnership will remain in effect for three years from execution, with the possibility of renewal for an additional three years, subject to substantive review. Either party may terminate the agreement by providing two months’ advance notice.
The MoU allows for supplementary arrangements and amendments through signed agreements by duly authorised representatives, providing flexibility to adapt to emerging opportunities and needs in health journalism.
Well-trained health journalists can hold healthcare systems accountable, translate complex medical information
The implications of this partnership extend beyond journalism training. Well-trained health journalists can hold healthcare systems accountable, translate complex medical information into accessible content that empowers communities, amplify voices of marginalised populations, bridge gaps between medical professionals and the public, and provide accurate information during health emergencies.
The partnership establishes no exclusivity, allowing both parties to pursue similar collaborations with other entities while maintaining this strategic relationship.
This partnership between Strathmore University and Willow Health Media represents a significant investment in health communication capacity in Kenya. By combining academic rigour with field expertise in health journalism, the collaboration aims to build a cadre of specialised health journalists equipped to navigate the complexities of health reporting in the African context.
The initiative arrives at a time when accurate health information is crucial for public health outcomes, and when specialised journalism training can make a measurable difference in how health stories are told and understood across Kenya and the broader African region.
[Photos: Moses Maweu, WHM]
