| dc.description.abstract | Health involves thriving into various aspects of life and encompasses more than just avoiding to
get sick. It includes various factors such as the mental, physical and social well-being of an
individual. It is not just merely one lacking a disease or complications in the body but also just
having piece of mind and a stable state of reasoning. By physically being healthy it means that
one’s body organs are working optimally and normally and that the person has adequate rest,
regular exercise and always has a balanced diet. Mental health is also very essential since it
entails emotional stability where one has a sense of purpose and is calm emotionally and thus
the famous saying by Elyn R. Saks that ‘No one would ever say that someone with a broken arm
or a broken leg is less than a whole person, but people say that or imply that all the time about
people with mental illness.’ Social wellbeing revolves around creating relationships, connecting
with people and the world.
Kenya recently has encountered a tough situation where doctors in the country went on strike for
about a month demanding for better payment and proper working conditions which lead to
public hospitals being empty and patients having to run to expensive private hospitals to seek
medical attention. Such strikes highlight the various issues facing the quality of the Kenyan
health system. Despite such health problems Kenya has also been seen to ensure proper health
services to its people and one of the ways is that Kenya has joined the International Vaccine
Institute as a member state strengthening efforts to ensure access to vaccines and health
security. Our very own Court of Appeal has recently approved the Social Health Insurance Fund
(SHIF) which is President Ruto’s initiative to address the disparities in health care access and
improve health outcomes. Therefore, despite the country facing health quality standards issues
there is also a big attempt to ensure good health for its citizens. The Universal Health Coverage
also serves as a good mechanism for the betterment of the Kenyan Health System. This paper
investigates the state of healthcare in Kenya, focusing on access to quality services, healthcare
infrastructure, public health initiatives and efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage. | en_US |
