Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers, health system managers, and frontline providers are working tirelessly to slow the spread of illness, effectively treat those who have been diagnosed, and do what they can to protect broader social systems during lockdown.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a double shock to Kenya, with both an economic and health crisis. When the first confirmed COVID-19 case was reported, the government provided several directives and instituted measures to contain the spread of the virus, including restricted geographical movement; stay-at-home directives; evening curfews; and various public health measures such as mandatory wearing of masks in public, social distancing, and hand washing and sanitising campaigns. Initially, 2% of the population tested positive, with a majority (85.9%) of these cases being asymptomatic. However, the incidence continued to rise, with urban areas reporting higher rates than rural areas. Like many other countries, Kenya experienced several waves of infection and the introduction of new variants. Interventions have been guided by WHO guidelines, adapted to the Kenyan context.
Contributors: Agnes Munyua, Alex Ofori Mensah, Batbayar Ankhbayar, Francis Mensah Asenso Boadi, Humberto Silva, and Pavel Manjos. This blog is produced by the Primary Health Care Financing and Payment Collaborative. Governance is an important building block for provider payment and an important requirement for countries to establish strategic purchasers who contribute to health system objectives […]
Contributors: Agnes Munyua, Batbayar Ankhbayar, Humberto Silva, Jocelyn Maala, and Kaija Kasekamp. This blog is produced by the Primary Health Care Financing and Payment Collaborative. Sound and reliable information is the foundation of decision-making across all health system building blocks and is essential for health system policy development and implementation, governance and regulation, health research, […]
As so many health systems move towards social health insurance, the issue of who should receive this at no or low cost is becoming increasingly important. The topic can quickly become highly technical and move well beyond most health practitioners’ core skills – comparing different ‘proxies’ and formulae for assessing wealth and income, as well as methods for collecting and verifying this data.