Numerous
surveys conducted by multinational bodies including the WHO have
undoubtedly proven the sub-Saharan Africa to bear the highest disease
burden in the entire world. In Kenya alone, maternal deaths remain to
be a major health challenge in spite of the numerous programs ran by
non-governmental organizations to address the existing gaps. As a
matter of fact, one half of the mothers in some counties are anemic,
with an uptake of the recommended iron supplements during pregnancy
remaining way below 3%. Malaria in the country has proven to be not
only a health burden, but also a socio-economic liability that
accounts for 30% of the entire outpatient consultations. What’s
more, access to basic primary healthcare and referral services
remains to be a significant challenge for the nibble healthcare
sector, all because of the low doctor-patient ratio which remains at
1 to every 100,000 people. To put it clearly, glaring disparities
still exist in the availability of services between the urban areas
which are mainly habited by the elites, and the rural hard-to-reach
sections of the country.
Statistical
data has over time confirmed the meagre state of the healthcare
system in Kenya. The bigger question however is, where did we go
wrong? For starters, it is imperative to note that prior to the onset
of the devolution system of governance many local and city councils
lacked the tools and resources to engage direct development partners,
notably people in the private sector in regard to where to best
concentrate efforts and other resources to transform the delivery of
healthcare to local kinfolks. Weak information management systems in
the entire sector thereby resulted in inefficiencies and lack of
coordination among care givers. With the provision of the devolution
system in the Kenyan constitution passed in 2010, many people were
quick to join devolved governments, thereby pooling a wide array of
skills and know-how, essential for transforming the various sectors
of the economies in the respective counties. This however, is just
one among the many reasons for the ailing healthcare system in the
country. Several others remain unexplored. The example is however
given in regard to a success story involving Kisumu county’s
adoption of a database system that houses the activities of the
county’s NGOs and CBOs which inarguably run over the four hundredth
mark. Through this, officials can now purposefully partner and engage
with organizations and other private players to ensure mobilization,
equitable resource distribution and promotion of primary healthcare
to the impoverished population.
Citing
the example used of Kisumu, it’s clear that therein science,
technology and innovation, lies some remedy indispensable in curing
our ailing healthcare system. Approaches that encourage collaboration
with the private sector and other international players are essential
in achieving this daunting task. What’s more, in order for a public
health program to gain any meaningful success, it should be designed
in collaboration with the relevant local community. Many
international organizations can painfully attest to this fact, owing
to the failure of their projects tailored using the top-down model in
repute of the “natives” to be backward. Preliminary ideas and
even potential solutions to healthcare problems without local inputs
are a representation of what might work in the boardrooms and the
first world countries. They often fail in Africa and other third
world countries.
The
use of ICT is the global solution for the transformation of the
healthcare system not only in Kenya, but also in the entire world.
Innovation and creative problem solving within the prevalent cultural
environments endowed with differing resource bases and cultural
standards would go a long way in ensuring our country attains the
vison 2030. Latest figures from the Communications Authority of Kenya
indicate a steady yet exponential growth in the ICT sector, with
mobile penetration rate hitting a whopping 80.5%. Taking advantage of
this can help in enhancing the overall consumer engagement in
healthcare and thereby increase the flow of information, adherence to
strict treatment plans offered by healthcare providers, lower
healthcare costs through improved decision making and hence improved
satisfaction and feedback on the service experience offered. All
these elements are momentously important in transforming the sector
from where it is right now.
The
establishment of health ‘kiosks’ in Kenyan slums by organizations
such as Access Afya is a positive indicator of the heights at which
the use of ICT can transform the healthcare of any given locality.
This innovation is highly regarded as a real game-changer for the
healthcare sector in the world. In their plan, registered nurses and
health providers in the slums create electronic medical records for
every patient and use sms’ to relay appointment reminders,
instructions regarding use of medication and also to make follow-up
on referrals to large health facilities and specialists, notably
Kenyatta Hospital. As if that’s not enough, patients get to be
counselled on comprehensive wellness from the numerous health
practitioners subscribed to the system.
From
this plan, its clearly evident that mHealth has the potential to
scale up healthcare that is person-centered, with local solutions
designed to ensure provision of services that are holistic and
informed by the needs of the patients. This innovative way of doing
things is helping many people, especially in the urban areas manage
both communicable and non-communicable diseases prevalent among them,
in the empowerment and extension of services to rural populations and
thereby in the improvement of health outcomes and healthcare
efficiency by connecting patients with their records, caregivers plus
impact measurements. Many entrepreneurial citizens are rushing to
fill this gap and from what’s being experienced at the local
levels, it’s working. So if it works in this scale, why not take up
the initiative and make it national?
mHealth
is an integrated digital supply chain which involves exceptionally
high levels of automation, efficiency and information sharing
centered on simplicity in the use of technology. The transformation
of the healthcare system in the country is a daunting task for all
those involved. However, why not take the first step by embracing the
use of technology in service provision? It’s the only way through
which the country can achieve Vision 2030, through the attainment of
several SDGs in the process.
