The Health Sector is the Key Social Pillar of Vision 2030

The health sector is important to the grown of a country. A healthy nation is an economically viable nation. Through Vision 2030, Kenya looks forward to providing an efficient integrated as well as high quality affordable health care to all Kenyans by the year 2030.

Vision 2030 hopes to achieve this through giving priority to such key areas as preventive care at a community as well as household levels, through a decentralized national health-care system to all the counties.

After the promulgation of the new constitution, most sectors were devolved and among them, the health sector. Currently, there is devolution of funds as well as decision-making processes to the counties and the Ministry of health will now concentrate on policy and research issues.

The government of Kenya aims as becoming the regional provider of choice for highly-specialized health care, thus opening Kenya to “health tourism” to other neighboring nations.

Through Vision 2030, affordable access to health care for all will come through the provision of a robust health infrastructure network around the country, improving the quality of health service delivery to the highest standards for all the Kenyans, through enhanced partnerships with the private sector; as well as providing access to those excluded from health care for financial or other reasons.

The health sector in the country is progressing towards the right direction. There was an improvement in under-five mortality rates from 92 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2007 to 74 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2009. The year’s target was 55 deaths per 1,000 live births.

The coverage of immunization improved from 71 per cent to 77 per cent. Fifty three hospitals are under rehabilitation, nine of which are completed, 14 are 50 per cent complete, 26 are at below 50 per cent completion and four are at the foundation stage.

Article by Juma Fred.