Experts, officials meet in Kenya to promote healthcare service in East Africa

NAIROBI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) — Experts and officials met Wednesday in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, to discuss ways to promote access to healthcare in East Africa.
The three-day Medic East Africa Exhibition has brought together more than 8,000 visitors, 200 exhibitors, as well as senior government officials, hospital managers and medical manufacturers from over 30 countries to explore ways to expand innovations in the region’s healthcare sector.
Mary Muriuki, principal secretary in the Ministry of Health, said that most East African countries face mounting health challenges because they have yet to achieve the African Union target of spending at least 15 percent of their national budget on health expenditures.
“This conference provides a platform for stakeholders to develop innovative measures to mobilize funds from both private and public sources in order to promote access to healthcare in the region,” Muriuki said.
She added that Kenya is prioritizing expanding access to healthcare through technologies such as mobile applications to reach remote villages and informal urban settlements.
Abubakar Hassan Abubakar, principal secretary in the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, said that Kenya has already implemented fiscal and regulatory incentives to promote private sector investments in the health sector.
Many East African countries face challenges in financing the health sector due to rapidly growing populations, which increase demand for health services, Abubakar said.
Patrick Alibu, president of the Uganda Medical Laboratory Technology Association, urged the region to achieve universal healthcare access through the use of health insurance, especially for rural populations and low-income urban residents. ■