PharmAccess hosts forum in Nairobi to drive healthcare service transformation

PharmAccess recently hosted the Health Quality Partners Forum at Villa Rosa Kempinski, uniting diverse healthcare stakeholders from East Africa, including public and private sector representatives from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Themed ‘Transforming Healthcare Service Delivery for Better Outcomes,’ the forum focused on strengthening partnerships and leveraging innovative digital solutions to improve healthcare quality and accessibility across the region.

Key discussions emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships, digital innovations, and quality standards in enhancing healthcare delivery.

Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni highlighted the government’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC), underscoring the role of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and other initiatives in expanding access to essential health services.

“The Social Health Insurance Fund, Primary Healthcare and Emergency andCritical Care Fund will ensure that all individuals in Kenya have access to quality essential health services they need without suffering financial hardship,” she said.

Millicent Olulo, SafeCare Director, addressed the critical need to improve healthcare quality, citing a study showing that 60% of mortality in the region is due to inadequate care quality rather than lack of access.

She emphasized that “UHC is incomplete without quality, which saves lives,” advocating for partnerships and technology-driven innovations to optimize healthcare outcomes.

Moderated by Prof. Khama Rogo, head of the Presidential Task Force on Human Resources for Health, the forum explored transformative strategies for quality improvement.

Discussions highlighted the significance of Kenya’s quality roadmap and SafeCare’s impact across 7,000 healthcare facilities, aiming to enhance service standards to national and international levels.

Prof. Rogo noted the decline in healthcare quality and underscored the importance of building health institutions that prioritize patient care standards.

“It's sad to see that nobody loses sleep when a mother dies during childbirth. Today, we build beautiful institutions built to the highest standards, but many have not met the minimum level of quality required to save lives,” stated Prof. Rogo.

The forum enabled collaborative exchanges, offering actionable strategies for healthcare quality improvement and establishing trust among health systems.