By Tajeu Shadrack Nkapapa
Principal Secretary of the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, engaged with the Parliamentary Committee on Health to discuss the 2023/24 Supplementary Estimates 2.
At the meeting, PS Muthoni advocated for increased investment in preventive and promotive health programs.
The PS specifically requested extra funding for essential public health sectors, including port health services, disease surveillance, the Kenya National Public Health Institute, the National Quality Control Laboratory, food safety, neglected tropical diseases, clinical waste disposal, health promotion and education, and radiation protection.
PS Muthoni highlighted that this funding is crucial to achieving the Afya Nyumbani goal, which focuses on providing last-mile healthcare, reducing preventable diseases, and enhancing public health outcomes in Kenya.
The Afya Nyumbani goal in Kenya was established with the aim of enhancing healthcare accessibility and quality at the community level.
This initiative concentrates on providing last-mile healthcare services, ensuring that necessary medical attention reaches even the most remote and underserved areas.
The primary objectives are to reduce the burden of preventable diseases, improve overall public health outcomes, and ensure that healthcare services are accessible to all Kenyans, regardless of their location.
This goal encompasses a comprehensive approach to public health, including disease prevention, health promotion, and the provision of essential health services.
The Ministry of Health has outlined the Afya Nyumbani initiative as a key component of its Universal Health Coverage (UHC) strategy.
Some of the key aspects of this initiative include deploying Community Health Promoters (CHPs) equipped with health kits to provide basic screening and treatment at the household level.