DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENTS

HEALTH

The International Health Relations Office in Geneva coordinates Kenya relations with the World Health Organization and other International Health agencies in Geneva. Some of the International Health agencies in Geneva include UNAIDS, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, GAVI Alliance and UNITAID.

The Constitution of Kenya 2010 guarantees Kenyans the right to health. Article 43 of the constitution states, that every Kenyan has a right to quality health care, including reproductive health, and access to emergency medical services.

Kenya Vision 2030 aims at creating a globally competitive and prosperous Nation with a high quality of life by 2030. Quality of life, and therefore the health of the Nation is fundamental to the realization of the three pillars of Vision 2030, which are:

  • The Economic aspiration — sustaining economic growth of 10% per annum
  • The Social aspiration — creating a just and cohesive society and
  • The Political aspiration — creating an issue-based, people centred, result-oriented and accountable democratic political system

The Kenya is implementing the Health Policy 2012-2030, which adopted the people centred approach to health and health interventions. This aims to ensure that health care services and health interventions are premised on people’s legitimate needs and expectations which necessitate community involvement and participation in deciding, implementing and monitoring of interventions.

The Government has put in place various strategies towards these efforts. These include shifting the focus to preventive healthcare, as it is less expensive and easier to prevent illness than to cure it.   In addition, roll out of universal healthcare through local primary healthcare centres,  achieving free primary healthcare for all Kenyans, starting with women, expectant and breast-feeding mothers; increasing number of community level and increasing mobile health clinic services; upgrading and equipping facilities; encouraging private sector investments.

Involvement of all players in the formulation and implementation of policies empowers the public to access social services and demand protection of their rights. Kenya has continued to encourage public participation in its activities as it recognizes that public participation contributes to policies which respect economic, social and cultural rights. Policies resulting from participatory processes are likely to be perceived as legitimate by the population.

Kenya is a signatory of the International Health Regulations (2005) Treaty, which came into force in June 2007 legally bind all Member States to implement actions which are of public health interest but have direct consequences on travel, trade and foreign policy in case of an international public health emergency.

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC):  Kenya signed and ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) and later in 2007 domesticated the same through the Tobacco Control Act (TCA) 2007 which came into force in July 2008. Kenya has made great achievements in Tobacco Control.

TOP