The Government of Kenya launched the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Pilot Program dubbed Afya Care – Wema Wa Mkenya that will enable Kenyans to access affordable healthcare without financial hardship.
“We are embarking on this journey in a phased manner starting with a pilot phase in the counties of Kisumu, Nyeri, Isiolo and Machakos and we expect to learn critical lessons that shall inform the rapid scale up to the rest of the country, His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta said after launching the program and sighing the UHC service charterwith the four governors in Kisumu Countytoday.
The President highlighted that with the UHC card, Kenyan residents in the four pilot counties will now access health services ranging from emergency Services, child Health Services, Maternal Health Services, Mental Health Services, Infectious Disease Management, Non-communicable Disease Management, Inpatient and Outpatient Services and Community Health Servicesacross county public health facilities.
He pointed out that the attainment of UHC program will adopt a Primary Health Care Approach that will entail scaling up immunization services, Maternal and Child Health Services including family planning, skilled delivery, and antenatal and postnatal care services.
The president also announced that UHC will involve scaling up prevention of water borne, vector borne, TB, HIV and sexually transmitted diseases; improving nutrition of women who conceive;early screening and treatment for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, mental illnesses and cancers to identify for early treatment initiation, rehabilitation and palliative care and treatment of the common out-patient and in-patient medical and surgical conditions in the public hospitals.
Speaking at the event the Cabinet Secretary for Hearth Sicily Kariuki thanked the president for prioritizing achievement of UHC as one of his ‘Big Four Agenda’ that will lead the transformation of Kenya by 2022.
“Universal health coverage is essential in addressing our national challenges and will go a long way in achieving the core principle of the Vision 2030 Agenda; that is, the realization of a society where “no one is left behind,” she noted.
The CS said all health sector stakeholders including County Governments will play a critical role in delivery of accessible and sustainable quality health services.
Several dignitaries attended the event among them the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta, Deputy President William Ruto,Hon. Raila Odinga, General Secretary of the World Health Organisation Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Chief Administrative Secretary for Health, Dr. Rashid Aman, Principal Secretary for Health, Eng. Peter Tum, several Cabinet Secretaries, Chief Administrative Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Senators and Members of Parliament.,
Dr. Tedros lauded the President for making the bold choice to implement the universal health coverage and pledged to support Kenya journey towards UHC because health lays the foundation for sustainable development..