The past week brought us to Kenya as part of the LSH Combi track. Together with Geoffrey Korir and Johnstone Kuya of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kenya, the director of TFHC Micha van Lin and project manager Helena Pluimes, we validated the intervention strategy for the coming years with key stakeholders in Nairobi, Kisumu and Homa Bay.
What is LSH combi track Kenya?
The essence of health system strengthening revolves around uniting the competences of government, knowledge & research institutes, private sector, NGOs, multilateral and financial institutions as well as pooling together various goals, funds, risks and responsibilities. This way, innovations are more likely to come about and to bring Universal Health Coverage (UHC) closer to realization.
The overall purpose of the LSH combi track is to guide collaborations between the Netherlands and Kenya in a combined effort to strengthen the Kenyan healthcare system and improve access to healthcare for the different groups that are currently excluded, geographically or socio-economically.
This LSH combi track very explicitly envisions to contribute to the digital transition and an increased access to information and services via digital solutions. The Dutch companies that are interested in getting involved in the health sector are mostly active in skills and development, medical equipment and digital systems. In each of these themes, there is a large role for digitalization. This will contribute not just to the access to health, but also the access to new markets.
There is also a large need for the digitalization of health systems (patient files, stock registration, etraining, cyber security, remote sharing of resources etc.). By getting this data from paper to computers will increase transparency, efficiency and will allow policymakers to make better informed decisions. The potential scope for sustainability focus is there and is being investigated, including the possibilities for renewable energy sources and recycling as part of supporting Kenya’s agenda of greening the health sector, in addition to the obvious benefits accruing from digitalization.
LSH Combi track objectives and results
The LSH combi track aims to advance UHC in Kenya by enhancing access, quality, financing, and responsiveness in the healthcare system through Dutch-Kenyan collaborations. Focusing on Kisumu County, Homa Bay County, and potentially the Lake Region Economic Bloc, the initiative leverages positive local healthcare relationships and political incentives to engage with the Dutch private sector for healthcare system strengthening. These areas were chosen due to their high healthcare needs. The primary emphasis lies on improving primary healthcare, with a focus on enhancing digital health infrastructure, health data connectivity across all care levels, refining referral systems, and public health management.
Visit July
The director Micha van Lin and project manager Helena Pluimes visited both Nairobi and Kisumu this month. The conversations during the intense week underlined the warm relationships between Kenya and The Netherlands. The framework we co-created was well received as a clear guidance on linking Kenyan and Dutch developments, learnings and solutions for the years to come. Key highlights of their visit include:
- The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) in Kenya is undergoing significant changes, transitioning to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) supposed to be starting from July 1, 2024, although has been delayed. This shift involves the NHIF being replaced by three new funds: the Primary Healthcare Fund, the Social Health Insurance Fund, and the Emergency, Chronic, and Critical Illness Fund, as part of efforts to enhance universal health coverage.
- Kisumu county created the priority to set up an interconnected digital infrastructure to build trust, transparency and efficiency in health services provision, including a County integrated digital system.
- Kenya is advancing healthcare interoperability through initiatives like the Community Health Toolkit and the Electronic Community Health Information System, enhancing data-driven decision-making and service delivery for community health workers.
- Kenya faces several challenges in neonatal and maternal care despite various initiatives to improve health outcomes. Key issues include inadequate funding and infrastructure in public health facilities, which leads to an increased need in medical equipment, supplies, and trained health workers.
- The UHC program in Kenya focuses on strengthening primary healthcare, ensuring patients are treated initially at local dispensaries and health centers, with referrals to higher-level hospitals for more complex cases to reduce the burden on these hospitals and improve access to appropriate care. However, challenges such as poor communication between EHR systems and reliance on outdated methods like fax machines hinder effective information sharing and continuity of care, affecting patient outcomes.
These developments and challenges show many opportunities for collaboration within the four key theme’s of the LSH combi track framework: strengthening access to health services, ensure quality of health services, protect Kenyans from the financial risk of ill health and strengthening the responsiveness of the health system in Kenya.
Kenya Trade mission LSH Combi track Kenya
Join us for a visit to Nairobi and the annual conference in Kisumu as we strengthen ties between Kenya and The Netherlands! Our goal is to enhance local initiatives with expertise and international exposure, focusing on digitalization in line with Kisumu County’s vision and leveraging Dr. Ganda’s leadership as Chair of the Digital Health Committee. This event, taking place from October 14-18, 2024, promises to be a pivotal moment for bilateral collaboration, making it an unmissable opportunity!
This mission provides Dutch healthcare (LSH) and renewable energy companies numerous networking opportunities to connect with potential business partners and clients in Kenya while gaining insights into market opportunities and challenges. On October 17th, we will attend the annual conference in Kisumu to strengthen ties between Kenya and The Netherlands, focusing on digitalization to align with Kisumu County’s vision and leveraging Dr. Ganda’s leadership as Chair of the Digital Health Committee.
This event from October 14-18, 2024, promises to be a key moment for bilateral collaboration, offering invaluable opportunities. More details about the conference will be shared soon. If you are involved in any of these areas, consider signing up:
- Diagnostics for Primary Healthcare (PHC) and last-mile populations, focusing on large-scale implementation.
- Digital health innovations that enhance connectivity and referrals across the healthcare continuum.
- Innovation, fundamental and translational research, and the process of bringing innovations to patients, with potential collaboration with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board/Medical Device department.
- Human resources in healthcare, including training, capacity building, planning, monitoring, and the biomedical engineering workforce.
Find more information on the registration and the program on our website.
For further questions regarding the LSH combi track Kenya or the mission, contact Helena Pluimes (helena.pluimes@tfhc.nl)!
