By Nelson Onyimbi
The health sector remains one of the most important sectors in the country, and fortifying it ensures that the other sectors continue to operate efficiently. It has been demonstrated that failures in other sectors end up having direct consequences on the health sector, for example, failure in procurement may mean drugs and other health commodities do not reach citizens, a failure in effective roads may mean citizens cannot access health facilities and the list proceeds. It is therefore imperative to address social determinants that influence health outcomes.
Article 43 of the Constitution of Kenya (2010) promises every citizen the right to the highest attainable standards of health, supported by the collective efforts made towards achieving Universal Health Coverage and Vision 2030. However, unaddressed social determinants reverse this progress, and until they are addressed, the health inequalities gap continues to widen. Social determinants of health are basically non-medical elements that affect overall health outcomes. They include access to health care, socioeconomic status, environment, education, and livelihoods. Some of these social determinants are linked to each other and can be experienced at the same time by a population, for example, citizens living in poverty may experience relatively lower education levels, live in highly unsafe neighborhoods prone to crimes such as rape and gender-based violence, and are more likely to suffer from chronic and preventable diseases that lead to early death including high risks of maternal mortality and morbidity. They are about 2.5 times less likely to access crucial health services (World Bank) and commodities and have their livelihoods adversely affected by emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. In the same way, people living in areas polluted by smoke or acid rain from industries are more likely to encounter appalling health outcomes including lung diseases, skin infections, and mental health issues.
In order to create a society with more equitable healthcare and fewer disparities in health-seeking behavior, the government needs to put conscious measures towards mapping out the health needs of communities at the primary health units where health systems are founded upon. These can be done through various vulnerability assessments in the respective counties, sub-counties, and wards supported by good-quality data collection, analysis, and interpretation practices. Data-driven decisions can then be harnessed to influence policies that address poverty, inequalities in education, health promotion, affordable healthcare, and safer and inclusive cities.
Mr. Onyimbi is a Health Advocate at NAYA Kenya.
