[ad_1]
Kenya will move towards its goal of achieving universal health coverage by 2022, when President Uhuru Kenyatta will launch the pilot phase of the program in Kisumu.
The WHO defines universal health care as ensuring that all people have access to quality preventive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services, regardless of their ability to pay.
The CSU program, one of the agenda items of the four major goals, will be put to the test in four counties – Kisumu, Nyeri, Isiolo and Machakos.
At least 3.2 million Kenyans will be the first beneficiaries of the health package during the pilot phase.
The four counties were selected for the pilot phase as needed.
Machakos County was chosen after research indicating that it was the county most exposed to road accidents in Kenya.
Nyeri, Isiolo and Kisumu were selected on the basis of the Strategic Plan and Investment for the Health Sector in Kenya (KHSSP) 2014-2018.
He said Nyeri had a high prevalence rate of noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and cancer.
Isiolo was one of 15 counties with a high maternal mortality rate and a sparse population, while Kisumu was selected on the basis of its high prevalence rate of communicable diseases such as HIV and malaria.
During the pilot phase, the UHC package will cover ambulatory care such as consultations, mental illness and emergency health care.
Hospital care will include medical and surgical services, improved maternal and child health services, and improved treatment for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
Other public health services such as mosquito net distribution, home immunization, public health education and noncommunicable disease screening will also be offered.
Lessons learned from the pilot project will be used to roll out the program across the country.
The government is already committed to increasing the number of NHIF registrations to allow access to universal affordable health care.
According to ICT CS Joe Mucheru, only 6 million Kenyans out of an estimated population of 45 million people were registered with the fund in August 2018.
According to Health CS Sicily Kariuki, all Kenyans must register at the CSU before receiving health care.
"Community health volunteers will be registered at the household level," Kariuki said in an interview with KNA.
To sign up, you need an identity card, a birth certificate for children or a letter from the area manager.
One UHC card will be issued to each household for children under 18, while children over 18 will each receive their own UHC card.
The UHC card is what will be used to identify patients in health facilities.
"It is worth noting that the insurer (NHIF) has the ability to offset the medical costs of its contributors in both high-end private health care providers and public hospitals," said Kariuki.
Kariuki said that UHC was not a new concept in Kenya since the government has implemented it over the years by removing usage fees in clinics and health centers since 2013.
She added that other initiatives such as the Linda Mama Free Maternity Care Program and Health Grants for the Elderly and the Poor were all part of the UHC.
Kariuki said the UHC trial in the four counties should help decide how to strengthen community health volunteers by providing HCV kits, developing public health services and strengthening partnership with the private sector and counties.
The exercise will also allow the government to know which health services need to be brought closer to the patient.
On Monday, the WHO approved the CSU and is committed to supporting the program.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesos said he would mobilize the highest authorities of the World Health Organization to attend the Kisumu launch ceremony.
Speaking in Nairobi at the start of the organization's first management meeting outside of its headquarters in Geneva, Ghebreyesos described UHC as a pioneer and a new trend in health in Africa.
Uhuru, who was welcomed to the meeting, said that the realization of UHC would not be a destination, but a continuous process.
He added that the CSU would respect its obligations in primary health care, health promotion and disease prevention.
"We believe this will provide a sustainability model for more sustainable universal health coverage for Kenya," said Uhuru.
Read: Kemsa sends supplies to counties before the launch of the CSU
Read also: Kisumu lists the residents ready for UHC deployment
Click here for the latest political news
Source link
