If I told you that half (48%) of children born in Kenya don’t live past the age of one simply because of poor health care, would you believe me (Kenyanya)? We as Americans cannot even begin to fathom such a tragedy, as 87.8% of us have access to health care (Access). Easy access and feasibility to get professional, medical help is one of the many benefits that a first-world country, like the U.S is able to enjoy as a result of economic success. A benefit we as Americans often take for granted, almost like a right. But that system of healthcare quickly fails in a third world country, like that of Kenya, where healthcare becomes a luxury, accessible only to those with big wallets, able to pay the price.
Kenya’s economic hardships contribute to its health care problems, namely brain drain and the lack of medicines. The fact of the matter is that most hospitals in Kenya, are understaffed and lack essential drugs to treat most diseases leading to a high mortality rate (Mutavi).
Brain drain occurs when qualified workers from one country leave to seek improved working conditions in another, and that is the unfortunate reality that Kenya faces. Qualified and educated doctors from Kenya leave to pursue a higher pay in other countries, leaving Kenya with an inadequate supply of doctors to treat their patients (Ighobor). It was reported that doctors in New Jersey make an average of $216,000 annually, while their counterparts in Kenya struggle to make barely $6,000 dollars (Ighobor). Because of this incomparable pay, many seek out better paying conditions, leaving doctors in Kenya with a high patient ratio, sometimes reaching 1 doctor to every 100,000 patients (Ighobor). In addition to being overworked, the situation for these doctors is further aggravated by poor working conditions (Prince). There are too few doctors in Kenyan hospitals, making medical care in Kenya inadequate in treating its patients.
The problem is further exacerbated by the lack of medicines, as many Kenyans struggle to even access the most basic of treatments. The World Health Organization found that only 30% of Kenyans have access to medicines (Health). The problem arises because of the costs associated with both purchasing and making drugs. Kenya imports most of their drugs, making them extremely expensive, and only accessible to the rich few. In some cases, a week’s worth of treatments can cost a month’s worth of wages (Pheage). The problem seems easily fixed if Kenya produces their own drugs, but manufacturing drugs is expensive as well. However, once in steady production, drugs become cheaper and more accessible to the general public which is why Kenya is currently developing drug-production capabilities (Pheage). The initial investment in production facilities allows for Kenya to bring down their costs in the long run, eventually improving the accessibility and affordability of medicines.
Both brain drain and a lack of medicines are a result of an unfortunate lack of funding, but a consequence to be expected in a third-world country. Although the initial investment to improve healthcare is high, it will inevitably help in making the healthcare system cheaper and more accessible to the general public (Prince). Kenya has a long way to go, but small steps such as increasing funding, is a good start.
Works Cited
"Access to Health Care." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 07 Oct. 2016. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.
Health Action in Crises Kenya. Rep. World Health Organization, May 2006. Web. 12 Mar. 2017.
Ighobor, Kingsley. "Diagnosing Africa's Medical Brain Drain | Africa Renewal Online." United Nations. United Nations, Dec. 2016. Web. 12 Mar. 2017.
Kenyanya, James. "Issues Affecting Healthcare in Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa." Issues Affecting Healthcare in Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa. Linkedin, 8 Mar. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2017.
Mutavi, Lillian. "Most Nairobi Hospitals Lack Essential Drugs, Says Report6." Most Nairobi Hospitals Lack Essential Drugs, Says Report6. The Daily Nation, 06 Aug. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2017.
Pheage, Tefo. "Dying from Lack of Medicines | Africa Renewal Online." United Nations. United Nations, Dec. 2017. Web. 12 Mar. 2017.
Prince, Ruth J., and Phelgona Otieno. "In the Shadowlands of Global Health: Observations from Health Workers in Kenya." EBSCO Host., 24 June 2014. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
My favorite aspect of the piece is the arguments that are backed up in numbers. The comparisons make the statistics much easier to comprehend, and add to the overall fluidity of the article. My main takeaway is that healthcare is suffering in Africa, and this is largely due to the lack of funding to the field. A follow up question is: What role does the government have in the issue of healthcare?
ReplyDeleteYour transitions between points flowed very well, and I appreciated that your information was easy to understand. My main take away was that due to low pay for doctors in Kenya, qualified doctors will leave for more money, leaving Kenya with not enough doctors. How could they increase funding without taking away too much money from other important issues?
ReplyDeleteI really like your hook, it was engaging and I was able to know what the topic of the article will be. I wouldn't have expected that the reason why the country is lacking medical care is because the doctors were leaving the country. One question is, what would help the doctors stay in their homeland?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your general layout and flow. The first paragraph catches my attention in a very different way than I've seen in most articles I've read. My main takeaway is how healthcare is suffering in Africa, and I was wondering how Kenya could push more qualified people into their healthcare facilities?
ReplyDelete