Kenya receives Shs2.5 billion grant to improve healthcare

NAIROBI: Kenya has received a Sh2.5 billion grant from the World Bank to improve on healthcare service provision.

Health Cabinet Secretary Dr Cleopa Mailu said the grant will be used to broaden the country's capacity to improve maternal and child health interventions and quality of care at primary health facilities.

Mailu stated the grant given through the Kenya Health Sector Support Project (2010-2018) will be used to scale-up the Result Based Financing (RBF) program to improve maternal and child health in 21 Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) counties.

He was speaking on Friday as he flagged off 19 vehicles to 21 Arid and Semi-Arid (ASAL) counties of Turkana, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Isiolo, Baringo, Samburu, Tana River, Tharaka Nithi, West Pokot, Kajiado, Kilifi, Kitui, Kwale, Narok, TaitaTaveta, Laikipia, Lamu, Migori and Elgeyo Marakwet in the presence of County Executive Committee Members for Health.

"Result Based Financing is one of the strategies we have chosen to improve coverage and quality of health services, through a results-focused and motivated health workforce to accelerate the achievement of the health related Millennium Development Goals (MGD) and Social Development Goals (SDGs)," said Mailu.

He added that the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) is implementing the human resource component dubbed Enrolled Community Health Nursing Program to address the shortage of nursing staff in ASAL and underserved populations in other counties.

"400 candidates have been selected out of which 322 are from ASAL and 78 from under-served areas in other counties," he noted.

The CS said the program will provide Level 2 and Level 3 health facilities with resources and incentives to deliver quality services efficiently and strengthen effective supportive supervision by rewarding improved performance of county health units of the County Department of Health.

The Results-Based Financing was envisioned in 2007 to enhance the impact of public expenditure on health by establishing direct link between the funding for health care and delivering health services of the defined quantity and quality, especially high impact interventions for accelerating the attainment of health goals.

The ministry has successfully piloted RBF in Samburu County before the scale up to 21 ASAL counties since 2015. Training for trainees, County supervisors, Health Workers and Health Facility Management Committee has also been done.

So far, 19 out of 21 Counties have commenced RBF implementation in their respective health facilities and the ministry is planning to convene a best practice forum for RBF implementing ASAL counties to share experiences.

"My ministry appreciates the task bestowed upon county executive officers, challenges and limitations of undertaking the responsibilities. We know that transport during support supervision and verification has been one of the challenges. We look forward to continue partnering with the counties in improving health indicators and access to quality health care," Dr Mailu noted.

The vehicles included 15 Land cruisers for ASAL Counties to support RBF and three buses to support of Kenya Enrolled Community Health Nurse training.