This archive report was first published on 27 August 2019.
On August 27, 2019, Rose Hassan wrote about the challenges of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Kenya.
At the height of the 2017 General Election, a miracle occurred in Homa Bay County: a woman gave birth to quintuplets. However, the joy was short-lived as two of the babies died immediately, and the remaining three died shortly after due to a lack of prenatal care and emergency services.
Quintuplets are extremely rare, occurring only once in 55 million births. The deaths of the babies highlight the need for improved prenatal care, especially for marginalized and culturally subdued women in rural areas.
Referral hospitals, such as Kenyatta National Hospital, bear the brunt of premature births due to their advanced facilities, including incubators and round-the-clock power supply. The hospital reported that 50% of births at the newborn unit were premature, with most being referral cases.
For UHC to be successful, county governments must collaborate with the Ministry of Health to ensure dispensaries and maternal units are equipped to handle routine medical procedures, including pre-term births.
The Constitution guarantees every person's right to the highest attainable standard of health. The government's Big Four Agenda focuses on UHC, which includes appropriate service delivery, a skilled workforce, accessible information, and adequate health infrastructure.
However, the infrastructure required for UHC is often hindered by energy access issues. Many health centers in remote and marginalized areas, such as Kisumu, Nyeri, Isiolo, and Machakos, experience frequent blackouts, which can compromise health services.
Ms. Hassan, the Kisumu branch manager for Solarnow Kenya, a renewable energy company, suggests that generating energy at the source can address these issues. Solar energy can provide a reliable and sustainable source of power for the next 25 years, free from fuel and maintenance costs, and with minimal corruption.
