Tenth Health Sector Round up Forum
Kenya Healthcare Federation (KHF) held it’s 10th Health Sector Round up at Radisson Blu Hotel on 10th December 2018.The meeting was graced by Mrs. Sicily Kariuki, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health, Ms. Tessa Mattholie, Chairperson Development Partner of Health (Kenya) and other health sector leaders in Kenya. The event was sponsored by PATH. In her opening remarks, the vice chair, Kenya Healthcare Federation Dr. Elizabeth Wala, welcomed the invited guest and the members of KHF to the tenth health sector round up, which marked major milestones observed especially in advocacy and Public Private Partnership. PATH, a KHF member, has been at the fore front in advocating for access to quality medicine. In her remarks, Ms. Pauline Irungu Country Advocacy and policy manager, PATH, Kenya, called upon the civil societies and the private sector to collaborate and engage the government in advocacy towards accelerating the development of Kenya Food and Drug Regulation Bill. Ms. Pauline informed the in attendance that PATH is currently working with other organizations globally especially South Africa to strengthen the regulatory systems. “For any health system to be fully functional and deliver products and services it must have a strong regulatory system.” Ms. Pauline Irungu Country Advocacy and policy manager, Kenya.
Dr. Amit N. Thakker Chairman, Kenya Healthcare Federation presented the key successes observed by the federation for the year 2018. KHF through it’s advocacy role has held six county stakeholder forum including: Kirinyaga, Makueni, Isiolo, Kisumu, UasinGishu and Mombasa County. Some of the Ministerial Stakeholder Forum KHF has participated in includes: Health ACT 2017,Fastracking and involving the private sector in the process of making Kenya Quality Model for Health (KQMH) the minimum standards certifying tool in Kenya, creating a National Coding on drugs flagged by KHF, carrying a joint inspection and promoting local manufacturers of drugs. KHF has created partnerships with other health stakeholders where it has been in the forefront it giving it’s expertise towards achieving Universal Health Coverage, through conferences which includes: UHC Conference in Makueni and Nyeri, second conference on maternal ,new born and child health,6th Healthcare Management conference by Medic East Africa, 7th East Africa Health Federation Conference(EAHF),Medical Women International Association(MWIA)Conference .KHF has grown its membership by 140% in 2018.
In her opening remarks, the Cabinet Secretary for Health Mrs. Sicily Kariuki thanked the Chairman and Board of Directors, Kenya Healthcare Federation, for the invitation, she underlined the forum as an opportunity for networking. She applauded the partnership between KHF and MoH where a lot has been achieved especially through the discussions during the Ministerial Stakeholder Forum (MSF) as they prepare to push the agenda on accessibility of quality and affordable healthcare, during the Presidential Round Table(PRT).The CS reaffirmed the inattendance that the ministry of health is ready to review the levy(s) and charges through regulatory authority particularly on the private sector. “There are issues in the health sector that we (public and private sector) will jointly address which include: Human Resource for Health, Healthcare Financing architecture and Universal Health Coverage.” Said the Cabinet Secretary.
The CS emphasized that the human Resource for health is one of the areas that the sector is doing badly and she called upon the public and private sector to be more innovative and willing to speak to each other she further called upon both sectors willingness to accelerate the speed on training.
The private sector and non-state actors will have a big role in the universal Health Coverage the CS confirmed. “The UHC road map acknowledges the important role played by the primary healthcare and community led interventions they will both play moving onwards. However at the launch of UHC in Kisumu, we have a lot of lessons that we shall pick as a guide moving forward.”
In conclusion the CS called upon the private sector to join hands with H.E president Uhuru Kenyatta in fighting corruption.
