Universal Health Coverage Conference to be Held at KICC

The 2019 Medic East Africa Conference expected to commence tomorrow, 24th-26th September will be hosted at the Kenya International Conference Centre (KICC).

The conference that will attract at least 4,000 participants from 25 countries will focus on the provision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the region.

Informa Markets Exhibition Director Ryan Sanderson said the three-day conference will create an opportunity for industry players in the healthcare sector to discuss the latest trends in UHC.

“The Healthcare Management Conference, which is spearheaded by the East Africa Healthcare Federation, will focus on the progress and financing of universal healthcare policies. The Public Health Conference, in association with the Kenya Medical Association, will discuss the roles of regional medical associations in strengthening universal health coverage. The Clinical Officers Conference will address the critical part that clinical officers play in upholding a strong healthcare infrastructure,” said Sanderson.

“This will be the seventh Medic East Africa conference to be held. In total, more than 200 exhibitors from 25 countries will be present, running alongside over 60 high-level conference presentations, welcoming 4,000 attendees,” he said.

UHC in Kenya

Kenya’s health sector is expected to grow at a faster rate than the overall economy. This sector is valued at Sh 220 billion (USD 2.2 billion) and contributes 2% to the country’s GDP.

Last year, Kenya launched a pilot UHC scheme in four counties: Kisumu, Isiolo, Machakos, and Nyeri. These four counties were chosen because collectively they have a high prevalence of communicable and non-communicable diseases, high population density, high maternal mortality, and high incidence of road traffic injuries. As a result, 91 percent of residents have enrolled in local health insurance schemes.

The United Nations (UN) under the sustainable development goal 3 calls on countries to “achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential healthcare services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.”