Paper on Health Care System in Kenya

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Introduction
This paper discusses global health systems with a particular focus on health care
system in Kenya. The study of the Kenyan health care system facilitates an
understanding of the interdependent relations between economics, health care and
public health. The perception of health and well being in Kenya is examined and the
allocation of resources in the health sector is determined. Efficiency in management
of resources in the public health sector is also examined. The first section of the paper
discusses the organization of the public health care system and the funding of the
health care (International Monetary Fund. 2007). The second section identifies and
analyzes the elements of building blocks of the health system as identified by WHO
2007.
Part 1
The health care spending in Kenya has increased rapidly over the past few years.
Between the year 2011 and 2013, Kenya`s health care spending increased by 33% to
USD2.743million. In the year 2016,Kenya spent 6.3% of its GDP on health care.
Health care financing in Kenya comes from different sources such as taxation,
National Health Insurance Fund(NHIF) and private insurance and employer schemes.
Kenya`s health care system is devolved. Management of health care finances is done
at the county level since the year 2013.Other common sources of health funding in
Kenya is Community Based Health Financing and Non-Government organizations
funding. Currently, the government spending on health care is approximately 6% of
the national GDP. This is very low compared to neighboring countries who spend an
average of 10% of their GDP on health care. Australia health care spending went
above 10% in the year 2015-16. the spending for that financial year was

$170.4bn.This shows a very huge disparity between Kenya`s health care spending and
that of Australia.
An estimated 25% of Kenyans are covered by a public, private or community based
health organization. More than 50% of the Kenyan population does not a have a
health insurance cover and they rely on the money from their pockets to pay for health
services (Willis,Reynolds& Keleher, 2012). Technology in public health care is
getting adopted at a very high rate. Health and ICT is becoming more integrated in
Kenya. The country has become a front runner in Africa in adoption of
comprehensive e-Health strategies. Kenya has a multi-billion dollar mobile money
payment system that is popularly used to pay for health care services (Guinness,
Wiseman& Wonderling, 2011). Most of Kenya`s health budget is spent on purchase
of medical equipment and building of health care facilities across the country.
In Kenya,there is a Universal health Coverage system but its yet to be well
established. Universal health care system helps in transforming lives by guarantee
access to lifesaving health services while at the same time helping to avoid poverty as
a result of expenses on health care. One of the actions that the government of Kenya
has taken to strengthen its commitment towards Universal Health Care is abolishment
of primary and maternal health service fees. Kenya is striving to achieve Universal
Health Coverage. In the year 2016, the ministry of Health of Kenya in partnership
with the World Bank and the USAID funded Health Policy Project(HPP). HPP is
working with various partners to strengthen the Universal Health Care system in
Kenya.