Nairobi Hospital staff guide students at Donholm Primary School in Eastlands, Nairobi, through the steps of hand sanitizing as part of events marking International Handwashing Day 2023 and International Handwashing Week infection prevention, October 19, 2023.. (Photo, courtesy)
Government efforts to improve health services in Kenya continued to receive support, with the focus now shifting from preventive to curative healthcare.
Particular focus is also being placed on improving access to health services across the country, which has seen the Kenya Kwanza Government, in partnership with county governments, hire 100,000 Community Health Promoters (CHP ) to complement the efforts of hospitals and medical staff in the provision of health services.
Ahead of the launch of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by President William Ruto in Kericho County during the Mashujaa Day celebrations on Friday, October 20, 2023, stakeholders including Nairobi Hospital spearheaded initiatives aimed at to prevent diseases.
These activities included disease screening, which allows for early detection and management.
Preventive health is the application of health measures to prevent disease, disability, and death, and generally improve a person’s well-being. In most cases, diseases are affected by, among other things, environmental factors and lifestyle choices.
Just ahead of the launch of UHC, the Kericho County Government unveiled a new system in a bid to transform health service delivery.
The system, called Smart Primary Health Care Network, will collect, store and disseminate health data to inform critical decisions, according to Governor Erick Mutai’s administration.
UHC aims to enable everyone to access good quality health services, when and where they need them, without financial difficulties.
Mary Kamau, director of nursing services at Nairobi Hospital, has called on Kenyans not to ignore simple measures such as hand washing, which she said goes a long way in preventing many diseases.
Speaking to KTN News on Thursday, Ms Kamau said: “Many diseases, such as cholera, colds and COVID-19, can be effectively prevented by taking simple measures such as washing hands and wearing masks . »
Ms Mary Kamau, Director of Nursing Services at Nairobi Hospital, speaks at the hospital during an event to mark this year’s International Handwashing Day and International Infection Prevention Week on October 19 2023. (Photo, courtesy)
For weeks, she said, the Nairobi hospital was in journey pushing the adoption of hand washing as part of events marking this year’s International Handwashing Day, celebrated on October 15, and International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW), from October 15 to 21.
“International Handwashing Day was launched in Sweden in 2008 with a campaign that enabled at least 120 million children in 70 countries to wash their hands with soap and water. The campaign was launched after it became clear that washing hands was essential to prevent infections,” Kamau said.
Effective hand washing requires several steps targeting the palm of the hand, back of the hand, fingertips, thumbs and wrist, before you can rinse your hands with clean water.
As part of the activities marking IIPW, Nairobi Hospital, under the theme “Celebrating the Fundamentals of Infection Prevention”, organized various activities.
A team from Nairobi Hospital, led by Deputy Director of Nursing, Jemimah Wanjiru, visited Donholm Primary School in Nairobi, where they introduced learners and teachers to various methods of disease prevention, including hand washing and disinfection.
Ms Wanjiru said their focus has shifted to prevention, “because it is the simplest way to cure diseases”.
“Infection prevention may seem so simple, but it’s not.. But when done well, these measures have been shown to be effective in preventing illness and even death,” Wanjiru said.
The IIPW also serves to remind healthcare professionals and the public of the role everyone plays in preventing infections.
The hospital is also championing increased use of vaccines against cholera, pneumonia and Covid-19 as part of its CSR program.
President William Ruto at the helm in the 1960sth Mashuja Day celebrations at Kericho Green Stadium on Friday, October 20, 2023, when he launched the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program. (pieces)
“We are happy that what we are doing also coincided with the President’s launch of the CSU. UHC and the awareness we are carrying out aims to improve the health of our population and reduce the financial burden on families,” Wanjiru said.
Preventative health care includes screening for diseases including high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. It also involves looking for future disease risks, such as high cholesterol and obesity.
Discussions on how to lead a healthy lifestyle, including healthy eating and exercise, alcohol consumption and safe drinking, and advice on how to quit smoking are also part of these efforts.
Susan Nakhumicha, CS Health, speaking in Kericho ahead of the launch of the UHC, said: “This day is a unifying moment where our entire country not only pays tribute to our heroes, but also embarks on a journey towards a future where quality health care is a reality for all. everyone, whatever their situation.
The CS said the Kenya Kwanza Government is committed to ensuring that everyone can access high quality health services when needed.
“This places the well-being of our citizens at the forefront of our health system,” Ms Nakhumicha said.
President Ruto, who spoke at the Kericho Green Stadium on Friday, October 20, 2023, said his administration was implementing various initiatives focused on preventative healthcare that helps reduce costs while saving lives.
“For every shilling invested in preventative care, we save up to Sh9.40 in social and economic gain,” Ruto said.
Ms Jemimah Wanjiru, Deputy Director of Nursing Services at Nairobi Hospital, during an event to mark this year’s International Handwashing Day and International Infection Prevention Week at Donholm Primary School, Nairobi, on Thursday October 19, 2023. (Photo, courtesy)
He said his administration had a a special emphasis on community health – simple health services provided by lay people outside of hospitals. He said the provision of quality health services is a major pillar of Kenya Kwanza’s bottom-up economic agenda.
Community health, a subset of public health, is at the center of Ruto’s plan to deliver quality healthcare, with CHPs having played a leading role in this effort.
“Unlike before, we have decided to start paying a stipend to the CHPs and providing them with the necessary equipment, including smartphones. Each CHP will be in charge of 100 housing units in its locality,” Ruto said, adding that the central government would share the burden of paying CHPs with the counties on a 50:50 basis.
“I am happy to note that one million homes in 10 counties have already been visited by CHPs, which have captured their data which will be useful for planning and resource allocation,” the President said even as he ordered 100,000 cogeneration units.
“The national government has already set aside Sh3 billion for this programme. We expect counties to make their own share of contribution to the plan,” Ruto said, adding that he has already signed four new laws which he is confident will significantly improve Kenya’s healthcare system.
WBulemi@standardmedia.co.ke
