The Ruaraka Uhai Neema Hospital in Nairobi (RUNH), run by the Italian non-profit organisation Word Friends and supported by donations from private individuals from projects of the Italian Development Cooperation Agency, has for years now not only been a charitable facility that allows thousands of Kenyans from the lower strata of the population access to healthcare, but one of the best hospitals in the country, for the quality of its services and organisation. For the second year in a row, RUNH has won major awards at the Quality Healthcare Kenyan Award of the Kenya Ministry of Health.
"I share with you some good news," said World Friends' representative in the hospital, of which he is a surgeon, Gianfranco Morino. "The RUHN Hospital won two awards, the most important of which because it was voted by the population as the best "Primary Health Provider, People's choice", for basic medicine and community health. The other award is for "Gender Diversity in Healthcare Leadership", best in gender equality in positions of responsibility in hospitals and projects.

Another official award went to the facility's administrative manager, Gabriele Beacco, who won the second prize in the 'Healthcare Leadership' category.
"Our relationships with local clinics and organisations in the poorest suburbs extend our care to those who need it most, ensuring that money is never an obstacle to proper diagnosis and treatment. In order to achieve this, the hospital runs a Neema Charity that has engaged in activities to reach out to the less fortunate patients in the community," explains Beacco.
With more than three hundred employees, one third of whom are health workers and 99 per cent are Kenyans, including 58 nurses and nurses, and with about 80,000 treated in one year and 68,000 laboratory tests, RUNH has achieved remarkable milestones in the delivery of health care, improving year by year.
In 2023, more than a thousand caesarean sections and 693 surgeries were performed, and numerous medical camps were set up in the slums with free check-ups for hundreds of people, including those targeting early pregnancies, one of the great dramas of the informal settlements of Nairobi and Kenya in general.

But it is not only the attention to the needy that makes RUNH a model hospital, here patients from all walks of life find qualified professionals and quality care, especially for the health of mothers and children. Over the years, the institution has reached ever-higher heights and expanded its range of activities in various fields, not only in maternal health, but also in specialised clinics, dental care, surgery and emergencies. Since 2010, there has also been a training and further education centre recognised by the Kenyan government.
The hospital is an important reference point for clinics located within the most vulnerable communities, which often lack adequate staff and equipment. The strong link with the shantytowns and the local structures represents the strong point of the projects of World Friends, one of the essential and most deeply rooted Italian non-profit organisations in the area.