Ogega C O
Growth of Public Health in Kenya
Kenyas healthcare landscape has been shaped by a complex interplay of colonial
influences,post independence involvements and current global health trends.
Colonial era
Early medical missions: in order to provide basic healthcare to the local
communities and colonial settlers, christian missioneries set up early medical
missions.
Deliberate initiative by colonial government: The British colonial adminstration in
a view to promote and protect health of the European settlers, it was involved in
the implementation of public health measures such as control of diseases,
improving water supply and sanitation.
As time went by, it was realised to a great extent that tropical diseases possed a
great health problem to the settlers as well as indiginous polpulation and in order
to circumvent this threat, public health intervention focus was shifted towards
diseases like malaria, sleeping sickness and tuberclosis.
Post-independence era
Nationalization of healthcare: upon attaining independence in 1963 Kenya
government inherited healthcare with already existing challanges. Nationwide
public health interventions had to be implemented so as to promote equitable
access to medical services to every kenyan.
Primary healthcare approach:There was a a great need in promoting preventive
care with community involvement. In this regard, the kenyan government
adopted a primary healthcare approach thus establishing rural dispensaries and
healthcenters.
Setbacks and challanges: Early post-independent times were marked with political
instabilities and economic hurdles and as a result public health infrastructure
development was slowed down.
HIV and AIDS epidemic: In the 1980s and 1990s HIV/AIDS pandemic greatly
affected the kenya healthcare system. With support from international donors
the government put forward a number of interventions to manage and reduce
the impact of the pandemic and its spread.
Recent developments
Healthcare decentralization: Upon promulgating its constitution in 2010
healthcare among other functions of the national government was decentralized
and handed over to the county governments with an aim of improving and
ensuring accountability of local health service delivery.
Focus on non-communicable diseases: There has been a rising trend in gowth of
burden of communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases
and cancers which may be attributed to extension of life expectancy. This has
prompted the government to come up with initiatives aimed at addressing these
health problems.
Universal Health Coverage(UHC): The government has emparked towards
actualising UHC, with an aim of ensuring that healthcare is delivered to all
equitably without any financial hardship.
Digital health: In the recent times the government has implemented digital
infrastructure across the country thus embracing technologies such as
telemedicine and electronic health record ensuring access to sought after
healthcare providers in remote and har-to-reach areas.
Key public health issues
Access to quality healthcre: There is need to ensure access to quality healthcare
to rural and marginalized area where this has proved to be a long lasting
challange.
Non-communicable diseases: The ever increasing incidence and prevelence of
non-communicable diseases posses a serious public healthcare threat and has to
be addressed.
Maternal and Child health: There’s a significant challange in addressing maternal
and child mortality which need to be on a downward trend.
HIV/AIDS: HIV/AIDS still remains a major public healthcare concern in as much as
there has been progress in addressing the impact.
In a nutshell rigourous efforts are needed to ensure resilient, equitable and
accessible healthcare sysytem to all citizens. And great strides are being made in
addressing emerging healthcare drawbacks.
References:
https://knh.or.ke/index.php/history/
https://www.healthpolicyproject.com/pubs/719_KenyaDevolutionBrief.pdf
https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADS084.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168851002001641
